


I Was Gone, But Not My Love

by Snapp



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: (A Bit With The Heat Thing But That's Mostly With Kaminoans In Chapters 4 and 6), (I Took Out The Sex In Chapter 1), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, And Dogma Needs An Ounce Of Chill, And a Hug, Big Bro Fox, Hardcase Eat A Snickers You Become A Slut When You're Grieving, I Did That's Who, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Medical Experimentation, Medical Torture, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Suicide Attempt, Unplanned Pregnancy, Who Let Hardcase and Dogma Reproduce?, but it's all implied, no sex for now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26654719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snapp/pseuds/Snapp
Summary: Dogma and Hardcase get drugged, get pregnant, 'die', live apart, meet up, and more.Title from Youth by Glass Animals
Relationships: Dogma & Hardcase (Star Wars), Dogma/Hardcase (Star Wars)
Comments: 79
Kudos: 95





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was on a high and I wrote a 20 + chapter fanfic...I'm so sorry.

Okay...so this chapter was previously very porny bc I was going at with my mom and wanted to spite post...b u t... now I'm not and after thinking this over more, have decided to make this chapter an explanation on some of the history of a/b/o and how it works in clone culture and war culture. Both because I know there's people who don't really like porn and the red on the weird color thing that shows its explicit gives me Bad Feelings (idk why). So I might publish the first chapter as another part in the series, just so I won't really see it- I have an update for my Fox the Tooka au coming soon.

* * *

Let us rock and roll b o i s

1) Kaminoans. Do they know? Do they kill you for it?

Yes. and No?

So, Jango is a beta...they thought his clones would be beta as well. But "life finds a way" -Ian Malcom. (in this case it's the author but oH WELL).

So they thought they'd be getting a bunch of betas...not in this timeline BITCHES. So when the Alphas presented...when they presented...as...well... _alphas_ (more on that later). And the Nulls remained Nulls... they kinda had a collective "oh shit" moment. 

So what did they do?

Instead of just murder because that would be a lot of _work_ and _time_ , they decide to mix suppressants into rations and give a more "in depth" talk on dynamics. (It's a bunch of bs, like _masturbating will make you blind_ bs). Most troopers take it bc they're afraid to be decommissioned, and when they're deployed a Helpful Medic will appear and tell you Why You Shouldn't God Off Your Suppressants You Absolute Morons. So most troopers don't or ever present, and they're fine with it.

Troopers who do present are typically confined to a room on their own for heats/ruts. If they have a partner an IUD or some level of birth control is required, but if you get pregnant you stay pregnant- once again more on that later.

2) Initial Heat and Ruts

It's all pretty typical. Heat + Alpha = Pregnant, Rut + Omega = Pregnant, tbh Anything Sexual + Omega = Pregnant.

Alphas fall into their first dry rut within a week of going off suppressants, it's mostly just autonomy changing and painful. ie: a dramatic increase of testosterone, heightened senses and increase sensitivity to scent and light.

Omegas take a little longer, about 2 weeks to a month (birth control adds to time). They only go off suppressants during leave, where they can access IUD, Birth Control, or other preventive care. when they go into their first (and a few after)…it's once again very painful and just mostly reproductive organs developing and other changes to basic bodily autonomy. For example widening of the hips, a slight gain of fat in thighs, development of a womb and all that jazz. It takes about a week. 

After initial heat/rut- it's typical of a common fanfic. Heat makes you sex/baby crazy, rut does the same. I personally hc that eventually heats and ruts sync after mating/bonding, and they lighten severely, kind of balancing each other out. 

After achieving pregnancy, everything stops, both heat and/or rut of involved parents. It's typically how they know if their pregnant.

3) Betas and Nulls

Our forgotten Betas and Nulls~

Betas can conceive with both sexes of omega, it's just extremely difficult for a successful pregnancy.

They can conceive with each other as well as if beta's sex gives them capabilities to have children.

Nulls are all around infertile. The Nulls themselves were a test to see that, however it requires a lot of resources and time that the Kaminoans don't have, so communal suppressing and a system that shames and kills those who don't.

4) Pregnancy

Going back to the termination option, it's just recourses they don't have. Save a coat hanger abortion, as crass as it sounds, most clones don't want to risk it. Surgeries have to be catalogued, and going on Coruscant is just asking for something awful to happen.

Due to clones aging at twice the rate, I think they develop like that too. Pregnancy takes around 4.5 months for clones, they rarely show unless they're having twins +. 

Morning sickness with typical until 20 weeks, as are increased apatite and irritability. After that, most symptoms fade save mood swings and cravings.

Birth, depending on how old the carrier is and how long they've presented (if they're an omega), can be very traumatic. Sometimes the carrier hasn't fully developed yet, leading to a still birth or an emergency c-section (last resort). It's very dangerous, especially because Jango Genes™ arise and pups decide to be born mid battle or at a time where it isn't recommended.

Miscarriage is quite common, most parents don't even know they're pregnant until they get one. There's a 10 week period (instead of 20 due to 2x speed) where there's a 5/10 chance of losing the baby.

5) Post Pregnancy

No heats for a month or two.

Same with ruts.

Mothers get very tired very quickly, fatigue and extreme emotional duress are prominent for a few months. They are typically always a few feet away from their pups. 

They don't produce milk. I don't think clones were raised on formula nor needed to eat much as kids or while in decantment tanks. Pups when born don't eat very much, but when they do it's mostly just equivalent to baby food. They drink a lot of water, though.

They cry a lot too, larger lungs and they fact that they grow at twice the rate of a normal human, leads them to be in a lot of pain, contributing to their parents to be around them a lot.

Scents are typically a combination of their parents and their environment. 

6) Coruscant Guard (The boys are back, I won't apologies).

Senators know for some reason.

So Guard troopers aren't allowed on suppressants bc most Senators are the equivalent of old white men who are stuck in the 60s and want to be dicks for the sole purpose of having one (I'm looking at _you_ the entire state of Alabama).

(It's mostly so if the odd Senator walks by a Trooper in heat, well...)

(And if they find one in rut... _"oh this rabid trooper assulted me, he must be unstable"_ ).

Fox does use scent blockers and has a whole underground ring.

There are some types of spice that act as suppressants, most Syndicates know that Fox and Co. will turn a blind eye to them if they save a little extra and blockers for them.

Have a whole underground care center for their pups. "Decommissioned" troopers are the typical caretakers, allows the parents to visit frecuently. 

(Debating on using the Palps x Fox, where Fox (an omega) gets prego by Palps- just know there's a universe where that happens in abo).

Higher count of omegas and betas.

Call their pups _kits_. Like Fox _kits_. 🤣😋

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be added to as I remember what the fuck I was talking about


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coolio a non-smutty chapter. Chapter 3 should be up within a week.

Hardcase growled, the angry scent of various alphas beginning their ruts. Fives was pacing beside him while Jesse was chewing on his arm. Across were annoyed betas and nulls, who were rubbing their noses and trying their best to sleep and ignore the growling and hissing. And finally, there were several rooms with the indulgent scent of various omegas in heat.

Tup was sitting, hunched shoulders and eyes shut. Kix was annoyed and Appo was laying down on his stomach. 

Dogma, much to Hardcase- and everyone else's- surprise, was in the  _ Heat Rooms _ . He had looked so scared when he had been dragged off a few days ago.

But he had smelt so good.

Hardcase paced, sweet scents riling several of them up further. Hardcase snapped at a younger alpha who had gotten too close. 

Finally, their captors strode in, staring at them, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

“ _ Him, _ ” one pointed at Hardcase, who spat. 

One grabbed him and dragged him away, Fives barked loudly and tried to fight his way to him. There was a moment of panic before he scented the omega on the other side. 

Dogma was slumped, looking weary and distressed. His well-groomed hair was ruffled, it was longer than Hardcase had thought, it looked sexier, slicked to his forehead rather than back. Sweat shined his skin as his bright gold eyes were nearly blackened with lust. 

Hardcase felt something snap, he growled and tried to wrestle out of his restraints, two alphas next to him doing the same. All wanting the same thing.

Dogma whined, clearly needing what they were here to offer. The last of Hardcase’s patience was thinning, there was no way in the nine hells that those other alphas would touch what belonged to  _ him. _

He heard a whisper and his restraints opened allowing him breathing room. He surveyed for a second, knowing that this challenge would be quick.

The first alpha, a younger trooper with a set of stripes tattooed over his left eye, was already on his track. The second alpha made his move, attacking the first.

Both were younger than Hardcase, and therefore would challenge each other before defaulting to him. He glanced at Dogma, who whimpered loudly. Dogma moved towards him weakly, trying to push himself up but failing miserably. Collapsing on the cot where he was put and crying out softly. He gave his squadmate a comforting purr, his lips turning to a little frown as Dogma barely moved. 

There was a lack of movement for a second as the first alpha took down his opponent, the other trooper lying limply but not dead. The trooper growled, stalking towards Hardcase. There was a moment before he leapt, grabbing Hardcase and dragging him to the floor. Hardcase flipped the other over, slamming him into the ground. Hardcase bared his teeth at the struggling man under him. The trooper struggled weakly before stilling underneath him. 

He growled and waited a second until he was sure the other alpha was unconscious. 

Hardcase narrowed his eyes on his prize. Dogma keened loudly, smelling like dew and lemons and lust. The alpha’s own smoke and spice and sex combined with his as Hardcase stalked towards the omega.

Dogma struggled him, Hardcase sniffed his neck lightly. Dogma melted in his arms, closing his eyes as he curled into Hardcase’s broad chest. Hardcase licked his swollen bonding gland, nuzzling his neck. 

Dogma cried out, tears rolling down his eyes as he sobbed in pain. Hardcase had a moment of realization, moving to brush noses with his squadmate, wiping tears from Dogma’s wet face and pressing kisses to his cheeks and tattoo. Dogma made a soft sound, pressing his face back into Hardcase’s neck.

He moaned once more and Hardcase dove for the kill.

* * *

Not that Hardcase was being dramatic, but he was pretty sure something up was up with Dogma.

He hoped he wasn't mad at him, but understood if he was.

He briefly heard Fives laugh at something Tup said. Jesse made a snappy comment and Kix rolled his eyes, curling into Jesse further. Hardcase looked over to the fresher, where Dogma had went into a while ago. He had heard retching earlier, and had went to check up on it to see Dogma dry heaving. The omega gave him a sharp look when he managed eye contact, Hardcase took the hint and backed off. He had meant to ask Kix but had totally forgot.

Perhaps he should now, but didn't want Dogma to be more mad at him, he was a very private person.

He heard a small noise and saw Dogma wringing his hands. Hardcase cocked his head and Dogma opened his mouth. He looked away and rubbed his arm before finally jerking his head.

Dogma gave him a slight look, waving Hardcase over nervously. He walked off into one of the common rooms. He had been shuffling on his feet, messing with his fingers. The stern and harsh omega looked extremely out of place, fidgeting and shaking over the past few days.

Hardcase waved off Jesse and Fives, slowly shuffling off to where Dogma was. 

He opened the door, walking into the room. The lights were dimmed, Dogma’s bright golden eyes looked shiny and puffy and his nose was red, hair messy. 

Hardcase sat next to the distressed omega, Dogma didn’t move away, but didn’t say or do anything else. Dogma didn't move away from him but he didn't lean towards him.

Dogma gave a shaky breath, closing his eyes and rubbing his face, “I think I may be pregnant.” 

Hardcase froze, this was a joke. He looked around for Fives and Jesse and a camera. _This wasn’t karking funny_. But Dogma wasn’t the joking type, he didn’t make jokes or pranks, he was actively annoyed by them.

“Okay...okay,” Hardcase started, unsure of what to respond with, “have you been to Kix?”

“No, no I-I can’t, I don’t, I don’t actually know what I’m going to do,” Dogma whimpered.

“How do you know?” Hardcase blurted.

“I’ve been vomiting, more fatigued than usual, I wake up with cramps and I can barely walk,” Dogma replied, subdued and quiet, he was shaking now, but Hardcase wouldn’t touch him, not wanting to spook him more, “I don't want to go to Kix unless I'm sure something is wrong, so I decided to do some research, I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant.”

Dogma closed his his eyes, nails digging into this palms, "and...and the-those men...but that...they told me I was ' _successful_ '...I'm pretty sure that meant pregnancy..."

Dogma shook, and Hardcase moved closer, nudging shoulders, when Dogma didn’t move away he spoke, 

“D’ika, whatever happens, I’ll be here for you,” Hardcase whispered, nuzzling Dogma’s neck.

Dogma didn’t move, frozen and scared. Hardcase stayed where he was, not wanting to spook the omega further. Finally, Dogma nodded.

“I’m scared,” Dogma admitted quietly, one hand over his flat stomach. Hardcase placed his hands over Dogma’s, peppering kisses to his neck. 

“I’m here,” Hardcase reassured.

Dogma turned, tears in his eyes and Hardcase was brought back to the night. Dogma begging for it, tears in his eyes. Laying on his back, presenting on hands and knees, bouncing on his lap, looking so pretty and edible with Hardcase’s teeth marks on his body and finger-shaped bruises on his hips and thighs and wrists. Sweat-slicked bronze skin and coiled muscles, old training scars that he traced with his tongue. The thrum of _mine mine mine_ passing through. He hoped that Dogma enjoyed it as much as he did.

And while he hated the circumstances, a small part of Hardcase was _so_ happy, Dogma was with his pup and wholly _his_.

He shook himself out of the fog, pressing kisses to Dogma’s sharp cheeks and tears. Dogma cried, blinking and wiping tears away. Hardcase put a hand under his chin, maintaining his eye-contact.

"Does anyone else know?"

"No,"

"Do you want anyone to know?" It was the least Hardcase could do, and he would respect it.

"I-no," Dogma looked pleadingly at him, "I can't go through that."

Hardcase understood. Dogma had a... _reputation_ , and if anyone found out about this...Dogma would never be able to live it down. He would be scorned, straight-laced, loyal, _dogmatic_ Dogma got _pregnant_. Responsible, stick-up-his-shebs Dogma got accidentally gotten himself knocked up. _He was scared_ and Hardcase could only hope there for him.

“Can I hug you?”

A hesitant nod and Hardcase pulled Dogma into him. Dogma buried his face into Hardcase’s neck.

“Can I kiss you?” Hardcase muttered.

Another nod that was more sure, and Hardcase pressed his lips to Dogma's. He looked momentarily shocked, before pressing into him. Dogma moved slowly into Hardcase’s lap, peppering small kisses on his face. He closed his eyes and Dogma responded accordingly, there was a moment where Hardcase wondered if this is what bliss was. He pulled Dogma closer to himself, messing with his strangely soft hair as Dogma's stubble brushed against his face. 

By the time they separated, it had been lights out. Dogma, despite his strict code of following any and all directions and rules, was seemingly unbothered. His eyes were dim, opening and closing sluggishly, leaning heavily into Hardcase's side. 

“Let’s go back to the bunks, it’s past curfew,”

“Okay,” Dogma muttered, staying close to him.

Hardcase collapsed into his bunk, and Dogma stood awkwardly to the side. Hardcase looked up at him questionably, and he pulled Dogma into a light kiss, and Dogma melted into him.

“Can I stay with you?” Dogma whispered against his lips.

“Always,” Hardcase smiled, moving to lie down, dragging Dogma with him. Dogma squeaked and shifted, trying to get comfortable. He pressed his chest to his back and Hardcase put his hand over Dogma’s abdomen, shutting his eyes and scenting him deeply. Dogma gave a soft purr, too worn out to be his bitter and hissy self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are to writers as a diamond is to a girl...that is- a best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Dogma of the events and setting up Umbara.

The first thing Dogma noticed when he woke up was the heat. He was warm, but not unpleasantly so. The second thing he noticed were the restraints, a cuff trapping him on what appeared to be a rail next to the cot he was lying on. The third thing he felt was sweat slicking his skin, and pain in his abdomen making itself known.

He rolled over and grit his teeth as a wave of agony courced up his spine and around his chest. Kark it felt like someone was rearranging his insides.

He sobbed in pain. The cuffs unlocked and he curled in on himself, biting on his sleeve so he didn’t scream in pain.

The heat eventually became unbearable, he shucked off his shirt and stuffed it into his mouth. His nails dug into his crossed forearms as he writhed in agony. 

His mind seemed to take this exact moment to remember what Kix had said when they were first transferred during his:  _ Reasons Why You Di’kuts Should NOT Go Off Your Kamino Provided Rations _ lecture.

He knew what this was now, and he had an inkling to what was going to be gone here. 

He felt...wet. Sith hells he hated it, this wasn’t supposed to be happening.

Gods he had thought he’d be a beta, kark everyone else did.

Dogma knew what others said of him, the stick up his shebs was hardly news to him, but it still hurt. The snide remarks about how he just followed, how he wasn’t appealing enough to be an omega,  _ not that he minded, he didn’t believe it either _ . And he certainly wasn’t an alpha, something he was originally kind of offended by, but got over.

He had thought he was going to be a beta if he presented. 

He was wrong.

He squeezed his eyes shut, fog began clouding his brain as the heat increased intensity. He felt like he was drowning and burning at the same time, he heard himself whimper pathetically. 

The door opened again and he braced himself, he knew what was next, and if the scents were correct it wouldn’t be long now.

They smelt so  _ good _ . He looked up, three blurry figures, he couldn’t see features but he knew they were brothers. One gave him a small hum, he sounded so familiar but he couldn’t put his tongue on it.

_ Perhaps he would put his tongue on him. _

It seemed the challenge was over, and the familiar alpha sauntered over. Dogma finally allowed the heat to wash over him...what happens will happen, and he didn’t want to deal with it at the moment. 

He would deal with the consequences later, he just wanted to stop fighting now. 

When Dogma woke up, the painful heat in his body feeling sated. He tensed as something big moved behind him, he took a hesitant sniff, scenting spice and smoke. Sex and what he assumed was rut was there too, causing him to wrinkle his nose unconsciously. 

He slowly moved back in a slight panic, ignoring the pulling, he recognized the tattoos, and felt a sense of relief as he sagged into the alpha’s body. 

Hardcase was safe, or as safe as he could be.

He trusted Hardcase, at least more than anyone else in his life at this point. Hardcase was understanding, he was strange too, but so was Dogma. 

Hardcase  _ got it _ , got him. He understood what to do when Dogma’s skin got cold and knew to stay away when it started to vibrate and tremble, or at least stay silent. He knew how to walk quietly enough to not freak him out when he was in a zone. 

And if his face sometimes heated up and his body buzzed pleasantly when he was around...only Dogma needed to know.

Hardcase groaned and his muscles flexed and Dogma tensed again... _he really didn’t want to talk about this_ _right now_. But he started snoring again and Dogma relaxed. He buried his face into Hardcase’s chest, he felt something purring with joy inside, but he ignored it. He was a bit salty about being trapped against Hardcase for the time being, but chose to make the best of it.

He yawned, and closed his eyes, from what he remembered form Kamino’s subpar sexual education, and Kix’s horrifying (and educational) instructions on dynamics and what would happen if they decided  _ to be stupid and go off Kaminoan rations and then present like morons. _

And here he was, a moron. Hardcase groaned next to him and pulled him closer. Dogma’s lips curled into a small smile, his skin felt calm for once, and Hardcase was so  _ warm _ . 

Dogma stayed like that for a while, dozing and enjoying the brief moment of consciousness before he became...desperate.

_ “Think of a Jedi and he shall arrive,” _ the saying goes, and it seemed it applied in this situation too.

He felt Hardcase soften and he whimpered. Heat began to spread up from his abdomen and fog began to enter his brain. He heard Hardcase snort and he opened his eyes. 

Whiskey eyes met his own and a wave a pain rang up his spine. Sweat began to drip from his temple as Hardcase turned. He pulled out completely and attacked Dogma’s neck. Biting and licking, growling quietly. Dogma quietly whimpered, Hardcase rumbled loudly and purred. 

Dogma heard himself babbling, and Hardcase responding in kind. He allowed himself to fall into the fog, trusting Hardcase to take care of him for the time being.

If it had to be someone he was glad to be with Hardcase.

* * *

A few days later, he woke up again. 

The first thing he noticed was that he was alone. He shivered as the cold draft entered the room alongside some of the men who had dragged him here...how long had it been?

“He’s successful,” one of the scientists said with a clipped tone and Dogma curled around himself. One hand was pressed to his stomach, and he knew where this was going.

Another nodded, scribbling something down on a piece of flimsi. Dogma whimpered...he kinda really wanted Hardcase. He was big and warm and safe and Dogma was really nervous. 

Dogma closed his eyes, putting his hands around his stomach. Where he had felt painful heat was replaced with cold fear. What was going to happen to him? Would he be culled? 

Where was Hardcase?

Would he know about this? Should Dogma tell him if they survive?

He shivered, but stayed still. 

_ He really wanted Hardcase.  _

Both men sneered down at him and he flinched. He’d never felt so small before.

One took a step forward and Dogma moved back into the corner, whimpering loudly. There was a prick in his neck and everything went dark. 

* * *

He came too in the medbay. Coric fluttering next to him, checking on...was that Blire? He briefly recalled the other trooper getting dragged out besides him in the initial separation.

“Dogma,” Coric sighed with relief, checking his vitals with a small smile, “it’s good to see you back in the world of the living, we were worried sick.”

Dogma gave him a grimace, he tried to open his mouth but nothing came out save a croak.

“Oh, here,” Coric handed him a small cup of water, Dogma gave him a small twist of lips as he gratefully accepted.

“Th’nks,” Dogma rasped and Coric’s smile faded.

“How are you feeling?”

_ ‘Fine’ _ Dogma signed.

“That’s good, any cramps or other abdominal pain?”

Dogma shook his head, it had all faded now. He felt slightly better, save for the slight nausea. But he wasn’t about to stick around longer...not with…

Sithspit he needed to get out of here, he moved to stand and Coric’s hand pressed against his chest,

“Woah, slow your engines there, I’m not done with you,”

Dogma tensed, and Coric seemed to take pity on him. Coric was the nicer between him and Kix. He checked him over quickly and efficiently before sighing, “if you notice anything else is wrong, let me or someone else know, that’s an order Dogma.”

“Yessir,” Dogma nodded, making a break for it. Coric chuckled behind him as he walked quickly back to the barracks. No one spared him a glance except for Tup, who gave him a quick once-over before nodding to himself, going back to his conversation. 

Dogma climbed into his bunk, curling underneath the covers and closing his eyes. Desperate for this to be all a bad dream.

When he had finally decided to tell him and as Hardcase curled around him, and Dogma supposed...this wasn’t the worst possible outcome.

So, for the next few weeks, he would wait until everyone was asleep and would move into Hardcase’s bunk. He pulled up the covers and grabbed Dogma, moving him close and burying him back under. 

And about thirty minutes before everyone would wake up to begin their shifts, he’d wiggle out of Hardcase’s tight hold and make his way to the fresher to fight the coming nausea.

And when he woke up, if a large part of him wanted to stay in Hardcase’s arms forever...only he and the pup growing in his body needed to know. 

This morning was like that, he woke up with a groan and a wave of nausea and a smiling Hardcase. He groaned and buried his face in Hardcase’s neck. Hardcase’s hand made its way to his stomach, flattening his palm as he grinned in Dogma’s hair. 

Dogma purred at the affection, something he’d never really thought he’d enjoy as much as he did.

He knew he needed to tell Kix or Coric, but Coric had ordered him to tell  _ him or someone else _ if something was up. And he had told someone else, it was never specified if he was supposed to go to a  _ medic _ . 

Hardcase yawned loudly, “hey.”

“Hey,” Dogma flushed.

Hardcase smiled, giving him a chaste kiss. Dogma followed him as he moved back. 

“Fresher?”

“No,” Dogma rasped, throat dry...and weirdly...not nauseous?

“M’kay, stay,” Hardcase slurred.

Dogma sighed, slumping back down into Hardcase. He remained there for another few minutes before pushing himself up and squirming out of his arms.

“No,” Hardcase grumbled.

“Yes,” Dogma muttered.

Hardcase moaned as Dogma stood up, “D’ika...”

Dogma chuckled, pressing a kiss to Hardcase’s nose. Hardcase pulled him into a deeper kiss. They separated and Hardcase gave him a bright smile, rubbing his cheek.

“We gotta go,” Dogma whispered.

Hardcase grumbled and fell back down to the cot, “where are we again?”

Dogma rolled his eyes, he supposed this was the idiot he chose to love, “Umbara.” 

“Sounds like a spooky place,” Hardcase jokes.

Dogma laughed quietly, “yeah...sounds like a spooky place.”

* * *

_ Hardcase was dead. _

_ Hardcase was dead but Fives and Jesse were alive. _

_ Fives and Jesse were alive because Hardcase was dead. _

Dogma looked around wildly, his skin buzzing and something felt like it had come loose. 

Pain blossomed in his abdomen, he silently admonished his pup,  _ this was not the time to be kicking my bladder _ . 

He felt slick dripping down his thigh. That was odd, he didn’t  _ feel _ like he was in heat. He didn’t think that he could go into stress heat while pregnant...maybe he should ask Kix.

But then he would have to tell Kix he was pregnant.

Then he smelt it. He smelt it enough times in battle and in the medbay, coppery and slick. 

His blood went cold and his world went black.

Then he woke up in the medbay.

Kix rushed to his side, the look on his face told him everything he needed to know, “Dogma…” 

“It doesn’t matter, they’re both dead and I’m stuck here  _ alone _ .” Dogma growled, rage boiling in his gut.

Kix’s look of pity had him seeing red. He got off the examination table and stalked out of the room. He just walked until he ended up in a storage closet and curled onto the floor. He bit down on his sleeve and tried to stave back tears as his body shook violently. One of his hands travelled down to his stomach, he quickly wretched it back to his chest. 

And if he stayed there sobbing for the rest of the night, plagued by his lover and pup dying…only he would know. 

And if Krell stood in the war room with a cruel smile as he exited his meditative state, his target snuffed, and an execution to finish off part of his  _ clone problem _ , well, by the time he was finished he would be the only one left to know. 


	4. Chapter 4

Hardcase sighed, _he was so bored._

Why did he agree to this again?

Because he didn't want to deal with Krell? Yeah...and probably because he would have dropkicked that di'kut to haran. 

He was a bit worried about Dogma, but he knew that he would keep himself safe. 

He hoped. 

* * *

“What do you mean he’s gone!” Hardcase shouted, Fives winced and Rex looked down, rubbing his arm. Hardcase's blood went cold and his thoughts began to race.

Dogma was probably in the medbay...he might’ve finally realized that he needed to see Kix about their pup and was getting monitored...but then Kix would be there, fretting over his patient and not looming next to Jesse.

He might be sleeping off Umbara. Yeah, battles were hard, especially on expecting omegas, he was just tired and wanted to sleep off post-battle adrenaline. He had started to get more tired lately...and moodier.

This wasn’t happening, Dogma was fine, he was supposed to be fine. He was as straight-laced as a trooper could be, he would do anything to ensure the survival of their pup, which included staying alive long enough to have them. He trusted that Dogma would stay loyal and live for as long as it took, he was ambitious like that. His cyare and pup were fine, just probably recovering in the medbay, this was just the Captain getting back at him for faking his death. _Right?_

Yet it felt wrong, so wrong. Something in him knew that Dogma and the pup he was carrying wouldn’t ever come back. A dark feeling he knew in his heart, in his soul. 

“He killed Krell,” Fives whispered and Hardcase fought back the urge to laugh hysterically.

Was this one of Fives’s lies, it seems like some bullshit he pulled out of his ass- there is no way Dogma would _ever._

Dogma was a wreck, he could be a complete di’kut sometimes, but he wasn’t crazy enough to kill a Jedi, no matter how awful and incompetent Krell was. Dogma was quiet and smart, but he was loyal above all else.

His attempted execution of Fives and Jesse wasn’t too much of a surprise, losing a mate had a negative effect on people, especially if the mission your cyare went on had a casualty rate of only your cyare. And you were carrying your now dead lover’s pup with the expectation that you would be raising him together.

Sith hells he must have been so distressed, and Hardcase knew that Dogma didn’t handle extreme emotional situations well, and started relying on Hardcase as an emotional and social crutch.

He turned to Tup, who looked absolutely shattered. He was rocking back and forth in his bunk, Coricwas sitting next to him, doing everything in his power to calm Tup. That was what caused the final pieces to click into place. 

Hardcase’s heart dropped. He stepped back as Kix grabbed his shoulders, Rex was at his side, Jesse at his other. 

He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. Dogma was gone and with him their pup. He wanted the other clone to appear, hissing and yelling with ignition at the mere accusation of him being dead or a traitor. 

But he wasn’t there and he wasn’t showing up, and Hardcase felt the hole in his stomach widen further and felt his skin burn with rage and sadness.

“I-what?” 

“I’m sorry,” Rex muttered, pulling him into a keldabe, “I know you guys were close.”

That confirmed it, Rex could never lie about something about this. And if by some miracle he would, he wasn't physically able to, Fives had learned and followed suit.

“I-we,” Hardcase stuttered, _“what?”_

The rest of Torrent slowly wrapped around him, holding him as he broke down.

* * *

That night, Hardcase dreamt,

“Why did you leave us buir?” a small voice asked.

Hardcase looked over to see a young cadet, no more than standard three or four. Cropped hair and stubby fingers, a scrunched nose that he had seen on his partner every time he was perturbed or annoyed. 

“Why?” they asked again, hair draping to the side in a move that was purely Dogma.

“I-I don’t know,” Hardcase stuttered, reaching towards his _pup_.

“Why did you go, cyare?” a new voice, a soured scent. 

Dogma walked out from behind their son, eyes tired and face shadowed. Sharp cheeks that Hardcase would trace were now gaunt and chapped lips that he kissed were thinned.

“D’ika, I had to-I,” he touched his mate’s cheek, Dogma leaned into the touch, closing his eyes.

Hardcase’s fingers caught a tear, then another. He felt his own face grow wet, he opened his mouth,

“I’m sorry,”

“D’ika...”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough,” Dogma said sadly, their son’s eyes watching him with the same intensity.

“D’ika, no,” Hardcase gasped, pulling his _mate_ to him, because that’s what he was. Dogma was his mate, even if they haven’t bonded or married, Hardcase couldn’t imagine himself without anyone but Dogma, “you are my everything, I can’t imagine life without you.”

“Then why did you _leave_ ,” Dogma spat, separating himself from Hardcase, eyes angry and shoulders tense, “after you promised you would _stay_.”

“D’ika...Dogma I’m so sorry, I wouldn’t have if I knew what would have resulted from it,” 

Dogma gave him a cold glare, the same that he gave to everyone else. Hardcase was hurt, Dogma hadn’t looked at him like that in forever, shortly after he had started talking to him, making soft conversation and light-hearted jokes had turned to long-winded discussions and late night silences occasionally interrupted by Hardcase, not that Dogma seemed to ever mind. He would just hum and tip his head back, if they were on the field, he would look up at the stars, lights reflecting beautifully into gold and black. If they were in the barracks he would smile and close his eyes, stretching back and yawning, hair falling forward. 

“Dogma…”

Dogma shook his head, a single tear travelled across his face, dripping down his chin. It vanished after it finished it's trek, Dogma alongside it. Their son was gone too, and Hardcase was left alone in the dark...just like he’d left Dogma in.

Hardcase woke up with a gasp, he saw Kix above him, the medic’s face was blank.

“Come with me,” Kix whispered, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

Hardcase nodded, moving behind Kix quickly to the med bay. Kix was accessing a file, CT-5387, Dogma. He was scrolling through it too quickly for Hardcase to gather clearly.

“What is this about,” Hardcase grumbled.

“The labs a few months ago, you were brought into a few of the breeding rooms, with an omega. You came out the first time, no success as for some reason you refused to get with the brother in that room. But the second room you went to, you came out three days later,” Kix raised his eyebrow at Hardcase, “and ever since then Dogma snuck into your bunk when he thought everyone was asleep and went back to his own before anyone woke up. His scent started to get milky, which while a sign of a pregnant omega, could’ve just been his scent, but it wasn’t, wasn’t it?”

Hardcase paled, before responding, “no, it was very clean, like the cleaner that the Kaminaons used to use when cleaning out our pods and lemons.”

Kix narrowed his eyes, looking pissed, “and you _thought_ , that causing more _unnecessary_ stress to your very _pregnant_ partner would be a good idea?” 

Hardcase flinched back, “it was for the mission, he would’ve agreed.”

“I hope the mission was worth the loss of your pup,” Kix hissed, and Hardcase froze, “He miscarried, whether it was the stress of dealing with a pregnancy on an active battlefield, Krell and his ostracization from his pack, and the added stress of his partner _dying_ and then the men who convinced him to come on a suicide mission coming back alive, I don’t know Hardcase, did you at least spare a thought for your partner and his health before making this plan?”

Hardcase opened his mouth, but Kix continued,

“Hardcase no wonder he tried to get Fives and Jesse killed,” Kix was fuming, but he wasn’t done, “and sith hells, he’s only just turned nine, what were you thinking?” Kix rubbed his hand on his face, looking up at Hardcase angrily, but the fire faded as he saw Hardcase’s expression, “Cas’ika, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-.”

“I-I killed him, little gods I...” Hardcase heard the door open behind him.

“No, Cas’ika it’s not your fault,” Kix said quietly.

“Little gods he’s gone, they’re gone and I never-I never said,” Hardcase sobbed.

“He loved you,” there was a whisper and they turned to Tup, who had tears running down his face, “and I think the knowledge that he would get to march on with you will give him some peace of mind.”

Hardcase cried harder, _gods he wasn’t going to march on with him, Dogma was going to go to Manda alone._ Kix and Tup pulled him close. 

Dogma, his lover, his mate, the man carrying his child, was dead. _And it was all his fault._

Tup cried next to him, and Hardcase realized Tup had finally come to the realization that his closest sibling wasn’t ever coming back. 

Hardcase didn’t know if Tup or any of the others knew that Dogma was pregnant, even if they knew that they were an item, sith hells if Tup found out he’d be crushed.

If Fives and Jesse found out, it would be worse. The three of them agreed on the plan, agreed on faking Hardcase’s death. It was better for them to believe that Dogma had been the only one killed, and not the severe psychological breakdown that probably led to their attempted execution.

Kix was already pissed off, and no doubt he would have to talk to Kix about keeping this on the low-down. 

Rex would also be pissed as hell. Learning that a trooper was not just pregnant but had suffered a miscarrage during this ordeal, and only to be sent off to his death under Rex’s orders.

He didn’t know what else to say, just moved back into Tup and Kix, taking what he could from their presence.

_______

Dogma woke up slowly, he whimpered, fear and weariness were burning his spine. He was strapped down, he struggled weakly. _Gods he was so tired_. He was so scared, he just wanted Hardcase, gods he wanted Hardcase so bad.

He cried out as he was injected with a cold substance. Ice chilled his bones and muscles, creeping under his skin and drying his throat. He tried to swallow, he tried to move. 

_I can’t move, oh gods is this how I’ll go?_

Dogma silently screamed as a scalpel drew through his skin. Fire mixing with ice as the blade dug into skin.

His ears rang as he tried to struggle. He couldn’t twitch his fingers, his eyes, all he could do was scream internally. He just wanted to wake up, he wanted to wake up by Hardcase with their pup and Tup and their brothers. He wanted this to all have been an awful dream. 

He began to reach out before another wave of pain passed. His skin was shattering, he was being cut open like a damn science experiment. He was hoping for an execution, whether it be by Torrent or Kamino. He just wanted to be with Hardcase.

It had been a brief thought while he was on the transport. He was grateful, weirdly enough. It was better this way, he would be with his pup and mate now. He felt for Tup, his batchmate would be alone now, but he would better off without Dogma in the long run. _And even if Dogma hadn’t been taken to Kamino, he probably would have bit a blaster, whether his own or in battle._

He closed his eyes and decided to go under. Doing the best to ignore the pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the og chapter 3, before I decided to add some of Dogma's POV, so here's more Hardcase.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A timeline of sadness.

Hardcase groaned in pain. He really wanted Dogma. _Where_ _was_ _he?_

He turned in the bed, clawing at the one hand cuffed to the bed.

_ Seriously...where was Dogma _ . 

He turned over, sweat dripping down his brow, his teeth were hurting and his head was pounding. 

He twisted and bit into the pillow. 

* * *

He was so glad _that_ was over.

Hardcase sighed, rolling over to the other side. His arms were empty, his body was cold. Gosh he was so cold, was this how Dogma felt, cold and lonely and scared. 

He missed Dogma, he missed him so much.

He was  _ so _ cold. 

He missed the warm weight in his arms, the chapped lips on his neck. The annoyed eye rolls and the irate crinkle of his nose. The way his tattoo would reflect his mood, shifting as he would desperately tried to hide what he was feeling.

And their pup, waiting to see Dogma’s body give out to a baby, feeling light kicking and seeing the results of their coupling. 

All that nervousness felt like it was worthless, the fears over their pup made Hardcase feel sick. Because maybe...maybe they played a part in their child dying, maybe their fears had influenced the force or something and it thought it was doing them a favor. 

He felt his heart fall further and he closed his eyes to stave off tears. 

“‘Case?” Hardcase turned once more, looking to see Tup.

Tup looked sad and a little lost. He wrung his hands awkwardly, the same way Dogma does-  _ did _ . 

_ Sith hells that hurt. _

“Thup?”

“Are you okay?”

“M’fine, why?”

“You were shivering,”

“Was I?” Hardcase asked, moving to sit up and rub his head.

“Yeah, can’t sleep?”

“No, you?,” he muttered. 

“No” Tup muttered, “I miss him.”

Hardcase flinched, “I miss him too.”

Tup sat down next to him, leaning on his shoulder, “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Neither do I,” 

“He’s gone...like he’s gone and he’s not coming back and it’s all my fault,” the beta whispered.

“Tup…” Fives hugged Tup from behind. Hardcase felt a surge of jealousy

_ Dogma was dead, their pup was dead, and now he was alone. But it seems everyone else still has eachother. Why did they have to sacrifice everything? _

“It wasn’t your fault, Tup,” Hardcase whispered, “it was mine.”

Fives tensed and stared them both down, “it was nobody's fault besides Krell. Not yours, not Tup’s, not Rex’s or mine or Jesse or Dogma’s, only Krell’s.”

Hardcase looked down, but didn’t argue. He was tired of fighting, he was long past worn out. 

Fives sighed, sitting down next to them and pulled both of them into a hug. 

Tup sighed and Hardcase turned away, “are you alright ‘Case?”

“Yes, I’m fine, just a bit...” Hardcase lied, they seemed to not believe it but dropped the subject.

Fives sighed and mumbled something, Jesse and Kix snorted as they woke up. Both grumbled, Kix looked up first, staring at Hardcase borderline angrily while Jesse yawned loudly. He stretched and bundled down into Hardcase’s bunk, Kix behind him. They all curled together, and Hardcase felt the ice around his heart melt slightly.

* * *

Hardcase took another shot, he looked over to the side. A  _ kriffing hot _ Twi’lek was giving him a flirty wave. Bright green eyes heady with lust, she bit her lip. Hardcase gave her a sharp grin, sending her a wink.

He really needed to get over himself. It was far past time he got over Dog-him. 

The woman went for the kill, giving him a sultry smirk. Hardcase responded in kind, she pressed a heated kiss into his lips. He heard Jesse cackle on the side.

Hardcase’s hands groped her and pulled her into his lap. She clasped his hand, pulling him out of the barstool and into one of the side rooms of 79’s. She pushed him down and pulled off his blacks, Hardcase tore off her shirt and she licked into his mouth.

And Hardcase woke up. He yawned, stretching. His back burned and he winced, scratches pulled and he looked over. A cream and blush Twi’lek was sleeping next to him. Hardcase would’ve jumped in shock if he hadn’t been better trained. 

He got off the bed, shucking on his blacks and quickly making his way back to the barracks on Coruscant, passing by a pair of Corries, one of which turned towards him slightly, but Hardcase paid it no mind.

He shook himself out and stumbled into the barracks.

“Hey!” Fives saluted.

“Nice ‘Case!” Jesse congratulated, clapping his shoulder.

Hardcase rolled his eyes and shoved Jesse off, “who let me have alcohol?”

“Fives,” everyone shouted.

“Hey!” Fives argued.

“Makes sense,” Hardcase groaned, falling face-first on his bunk and groaning dramatically.

There was laughter and if Hardcase’s ears weren’t ringing and his head wasn’t pounding he would do the same.

* * *

He went back, another Twi'lek and a Nautolian. 

Three shots of Corellian Whiskey.

Another day, this time a Togruta and the next day a large Iradonian.

More hangovers and waking up in different beds.

He had just stubbled back to the barracks...the their fourth leave since Umbara.

~~It's been months since he lost Dogma.~~

"Hardcase, we need to talk," 

His platoon were all sitting, lights shining down.

"What is this," Hardcase shifted nervously. 

"We need to talk about...this,"

"I stand by my previous question,"

"Hardcase...you haven't been the same since Um...since Umbara," Kix breathed, giving him a pointed look, _we need to talk about how you lost your pup and you're future mate without actually talking about it._

"Yeah...I'm pretty sure all of us have?" Hardcase really didn't want to talk about it.

"Hardcase..." Rex sighed, "even Fives and Jesse have started renewing their routines, they're going to therapy...they're improving. You...haven't."

Hardcase clicked his tongue, but didn't say anything.

"I know you and Dogma were a thing," Tup whispered, wincing at the spike in Hardcase's scent, "but we really need to talk about your drinking and...your other _relations_..."

"Wait what?" Fives asked, the alpha turned to Tup, who gave him the _look_.

“They were together,” Kix finally broke the silence, looking slightly apologetic at Hardcase.

There was silence for a second. And Fives whirled on him,

“What the fuck Hardcase,” he spat.

“I…”

“So you were hooking up our squadmate and didn’t think to say anything,”

“Err, Dogma didn’t tell you?” He tried.

Tup’s face was tinged red and Jesse and Fives looked morbidly curious. 

“We were sleeping with each other…” 

“Oh  _ thank  _ you Hardcase,” Tup’s voice pitched.

“You’re welcome?” 

“No Hardcase,”

“Sorry…”

Tup just sighed angrily, “how long?”

“Since the labs,”

“Were you fucking?”

“Sometimes...very rarely,” Hardcase decided to be honest. 

“Did you...did...did he try to...with Fives and Jesse...was it because,”

“I don’t know,” Hardcase muttered, “Tup I wasn’t there, I loved him, you know I did, but just because I loved him doesn’t mean I know the rhyme and reason behind his every action.”

Tup breathed in deeply, rubbing his face with the palm of his hand, “I need a drink as soon as we get planetside.”

“Same,” Kix agreed, slumping into Jesse, “gods I need alcohol.”

* * *

A few months later, they all walked into 79’s, Fives bounding excitedly to the bartender. Hardcase rolled his eyes, as he was declared the designated Sober Person.

He sighed as Kix threw back a beer, somehow Fives and Tup had gotten into a drinking contest. 

“He’s gonna _lose~_ ” Jesse sang. 

Kix nodded and Rex rolled his eyes, taking a shot. 

“K-Kark off di-di’kut,” Fives slurred. 

Tup rolled his eyes mid shot. 

“Here we go...” Jesse chuckled.

“We should go...we should go  _ party _ ,” Fives declared, knocking over one of the half full shot glasses.

Rex just shrugged, two-glass in Rex could give less than half a osik about anything. 

Fives scrambled out, Jesse behind him. Kix rolled his eyes and leaned back, Tup just sat back, continuing to drink. Hardcase sighed and walked out.

“C’mon,” Fives lead them forward, “let’s fuck with Corrie speeders.”

“With?”

“This.” Fives pulled out a spray can of bright blue paint. Hardcase laughed loudly, the three sped off. 

They moved towards the parked speeders, Fives tossed a can to each and they went to work.

Time flew, and Hardcase tensed as he heard footsteps.

“Hey!” A Corrie shouted and they all tensed, “what are you doing!”

“Scatter!” Fives shouted, and that’s what they did.

Hardcase jogged back towards 79’s. But another Guard rounded off, grabbing him and slamming him into the ground.

“You are under arrest, trooper,” the Guard muttered quietly.

Another trooper walked in with a wasted Fives leaning on his shoulder, a miffed and cuffed Jesse walking in front of him.

“What the kark is going on?” Kix walked out of the bar, looking at a now bashful Jesse.

“Ummm,”

Tup and Rex walked out behind him, looking annoyed and angry. 

“Are these your troopers?”

“Yes...”

“Sergeant Hound,”

“...” 

“These are my troopers, what have they done?”

“They were caught vandalizing, all three will be charged,” Hound said, the other trooper shifted behind Hardcase, touching him lightly.

“Fine,” Rex said, “we’re going with them.”

“That’s fine,” Hardcase’s captor shrugged. 

Both men guided them to the prison. They sat them down, drawing paperwork, the nameless trooper gave them a once over before walking out. 

Hardcase turned, looking at the man who walked out. Something was familiar about him, but Hardcase couldn’t place it.


	6. Chapter 6

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to a passage of time Dogma could no longer recognize. His skin was freezing and his head was pounding. He felt the tell tail hissing of a needle as a sign of the dose of narcotics that would be administered shortly. 

He would’ve groaned if he physically could’ve.

His now sensitive ears heard footsteps. He closed his eyes, and he felt his bones rattle. 

The footsteps got closer and closer until they stopped.

There were muffled voices, and Dogma wished he could scream. Suddenly, he couldn’t feel anything anymore.

* * *

He woke up.

He wasn’t in a pod or on a durasteel table. 

He was on a...biobed?

In a medbay? How did he get there?

He shifted, but his muscles contracted. His throat was dry and his body was in agony.

He moved again, rolling to the side before warm hands touched his arms.

“H’y...do...need...to,” was all he heard before the lights became to bright and he faded again.

This time, his hearing came back first.

“-tient is showing signs of improvement, he might still take a few weeks on bed rest...and could do well with some physical therapy and a counselor-”

Dogma tried to speak but the only thing that came out was a broken whimper. The medic turned to him, relief in his gaze.

“Welcome back to the world of the living Trooper, name’s Screecher and that’s Bear and Cheery.” A wiry, short haired, medic gestured to a larger trooper with a curly undercut and pierced ears and a thin, more feminine(?) trooper. Longer hair with two circles underneath their eyes.

“...” Dogma couldn’t speak, his throat hurt.

He reached to touch his neck and felt the scratchy bacta patch. He looked down and saw the patches that were wrapped from his neck and...his...back?

“Oh...here.” Screecher slowly tipped his head back, Dogma winced at the pulling on his throat.

The water felt nice, he supposed. 

He felt drowsy, his eyes were heavy and the medic smiled softly, “rest kid.”

He decided to take that order and sat back, pressing into the biobed.

* * *

“Hello Dogma,” Dogma woke up to Commander Fox.  _ The Commander Fox _ . Holy kark that’s Commander Fox. Breathe Dogma.

Dogma fidgeted, should he salute? How did things work here?

“At ease kid,” Commander Fox placated. 

“Sorry sir,” Dogma muttered. 

Fox sighed and moved towards Dogma, stopping in front of him. He nudged Dogma’s shoulder and Dogma leaned into his touch.

“I-what is going on?”

“You're now officially a member of the Coruscant Guard, welcome the Thunder Dome,”

“Sir?”

“I was able to tweak some things, CT-5837 was executed about two hours ago, CT-01-6948 was just transferred from an advanced Kaminoan training program to the Coruscant Guard,”

“Can you...can you um...do that? Like legally?” Dogma asked, looking up at Fox, who gave him a kind look.

“Nope,” he clicked his tongue. 

“Then...um...how?”

“I’m basically running this joint, nothing is illegal to me,”

Dogma leaned into the Commander, who gave him a soft look, nudging his shoulder and laying his chin on the crown of the head, scenting him softly. Dogma took in Fox’s scent, and his eyes widened. 

Kark.

Commander Fox had presented.

And he wasn’t an alpha.

“We aren’t allowed Kamino’s rations that are mixed in with suppressants,” 

“Oh,” Dogma said nervously, “will I be going on heat?”

“Most likely, as soon as everything calms and you get situated, you’ll probably go into a stress heat, that’s the norm around here,” 

“So...not an actual heat?”

“No, scent blockers slightly dull the heat, and you’ll soon find out that the amount of stress that we go under your body will only go through brief stress heats, Screecher will give you the full debrief later,” Fox explained quietly.

Dogma sighed loudly and Fox muttered, “it’s gonna hurt like a bitch.”

“Everything else does,” Dogma gave a wry smile, “what’s the difference?”

At that moment Screecher walked in, a padd in his hand. His tattooed wrists flicked as he scribbled something down.

“CT-01-6948,” he clicked, “Clone Trooper Dogma, welcome to the Guard, I need you to sign here and here.”

“Umm.” Dogma muttered, he took the stylus and signed his *new* number and name.

“I assume Fox gave you the play-by-play?” 

“Yes sir,” Dogma nodded.

“We have heavy duty scent blockers to prevent regular heats, but you’ll find with the sheer amount of stress heats that occur here, you won’t be having the Breeder Heats,”

“Okay,”

“If you have any history with heats or experiences, come by my office later,” 

“Where is that?”

“Come on kiddo, I’ll introduce you to your squad and tour you,”

Dogma looked nervously at Fox, who gave him an encouraging nod. He sighed, and followed the medic.

* * *

TW- suicide attempt/drug addiction

Dogma’s hands shook, his skin was ice.

He needed…

He couldn’t. He couldn’t three months ago. He really couldn’t right now. He grabbed the bottle of painkillers and swallowed quickly. Collapsing and closing his eyes as he shivered, warmth travelling slowly down his spine, soothing his pained muscles and skin. 

He missed Hardcase.

Hardcase would keep him warm. He  _ promised  _ he would.

_ He also promised to never leave you, he promised that he would stay _ .

But Hardcase was dead, he was marching on now. He hoped that Hardcase had found their pup, and that they were happy together.

_ “D’ika, whatever happens, I'll be here for you,” _ Hardcase had once said. 

_ That was a karking lie. _

He squinted, curling in further on himself. He whimpered, laying on the floor as warmth and darkness consumed him. 

~-~-Same Time-~-~

Fox walked through the halls, eyes fixed on a data pad. He sighed as he received message after message. Senators, vode, the Chancellor, Thorn. He stopped at a message from Screecher, reporting missing painkillers.

He sighed again, he had a thought of who had taken them.

He turned around and marched quickly. He tapped in his code and opened the door and froze. 

He rushed to Dogma’s side, kneeling down next to the unconscious clone.

“M’ika?”

Nothing.

He placed his fingers onto Dogma’s neck, feeling around for a pulse. Fox sighed with relief, it was faint, but there.

He commed Screecher, telling him to get here now.

He closed his eyes, and pressed his nose into Dogma’s cheek. Pulling him close.

Fox placed the other omega down, laying him on his back.

“What happened now?” Screecher rushed in, grumbling. He froze at the sight of Dogma.

He kneeled down next to him, pushing Fox to the side. Fox just sat there numbly as Screecher administered Naloxone and then proceeded to have Fox move him to the cot.

Fox continued to pet his forehead, moving his damp hair off his face.

“Start CPR,” Screecher ordered.

Fox moved. 

Screecher gave Fox a trash can and gestured. Fox nodded and began to pump harder.

Dogma gasped and sat up quickly. Fox moved this toward that trash can just before he threw up. Fox silently thanked the gods for Screecher’s forward thinking. 

“I need you to keep an eye on him,” he said, “I can’t give him anything, but I have to keep an eye on Grapple, keep him still and call me if anything changes.”

“Of course,”

“Good,” Screecher sighed, rubbing his hand in Dogma’s hair, “keep him safe.”

He turned and walked out, leaving Fox with his kih’vod.

“Oh M’ika.” Fox moved to set his brother’s head in his lap, Dogma whimpered, a raspy sob at the back of his throat. 

Dogma’s eyes fluttered, and he rolled into Fox’s thigh. His body seized and Fox moved him over so he could throw up in the can again. 

He sobbed, tears running down his sharp cheeks. He was violently shaking in Fox’s arms, Fox messaged his back and scratched his scalp. 

He stayed with him for the remainder of the night.

* * *

“Are we gonna talk about it?” Fox finally asked.

Dogma looked down, fidgeting with his fingers, “do we have to?”

“Yes, you can talk to me or you can talk to a medic,” Fox said stubbornly.

Dogma breathed, inhaling Fox’s comforting scent of caff and rain, feeling better. Fox always knows how to alleviate his nerves. 

Dogma remained there for a moment before sighing, burning his head in his arms. Fox came to his side, and pulled him down. Dogma moved his head into Fox’s neck, smiling into the warmth.

“M’ika...you can’t keep doing this to yourself,”

“I-sir...I don’t know...I-I,” 

“It’s fine, just rest for now...but later we will be talking about this,”

“Yessir,” Dogma slurred.

He leaned into Fox, allowing Fox’s breathing and soft scent to comfort him.

Fox’s chest rumbled as he opened his mouth, “you’re a good kid, I don’t know what happened, but you’re holding yourself back.”

Dogma finally spoke, “I was pregnant.”

Fox’s eyes widened slightly and Dogma elaborated, “I was pregnant and the trooper who knocked me up died on a suicide run that he and two other troopers went against Krell, and the only casualty in that mission was him,”

“M’ika…” Fox pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his forehead. A single hand ran through his hair.

"It's just...I don't know what I'm going to do, both my cyare and pup are dead...what's the point?"

Fox gave him a kind look, "I'm sorry."

"Don't...please don't...I can't do it, I don't want pity, "

"I'm giving you sympathy,"

Dogma gave him a blank look, but sighed and lay back into him.

"I'm ordering you kid, if anything comes up comm me immediately," 

-Time Skip-

Dogma yawned, stretching. He ignored the slight pulling of his scar.

His joints popped, and he sniffed. He could feel cramping in his abdomen, he sighed, his heat was coming soon.

_ Another one without Hardca- _

Stop.

He stood up on wobbly legs, catching the side of the bunk and standing up straight. 

He fidgeted, opening up a cabinet and closed it again. He did it a few more times. 

He closed his eyes. He grabbed his comm and patched in Fox’s number.

_ “You call me if anything is wrong, I don’t care if it’s because you have a slight headache or if you just want someone to talk to, that’s an order M’ika,” _

He sat back down, shivering violently. He sat back down, Fox’s responding chime letting him know that Fox was on his way.

“M’ika?”

“Ori’vod,” he whimpered.

Fox stepped in, leaning down. He sniffed him, no doubt smelling the coming heat. He sighed, 

“Come with the pack,”

“I-I can’t,”

“M’ika…”

“It’s just so much, I don’t think-I haven’t ever  _ done _ that much,”

Fox nodded, “no one will judge you, quite a few of our shinies are like that.”

Dogma cocked his head, “we take some of Priest’s and the JPs as well as just some of our regular shinies, there’s nothing wrong, but I don’t think you should spend your heat alone.”

“I-thanks,”

“Mhmm,” Fox nodded, scenting his packmate, “I can stay for about thirty minutes, and you don’t have to take an alpha with you, there are plenty of others: betas, omegas, and nulls who would be happy to help.”

“S’thanks,” Dogma slurred, feeling sicker by the minute.

“Okay,” Fox said.

He curled around Dogma, and Dogma leaned back into Fox. His eyes fluttered shut, his body felt good, still buzzing, but good. 

Fox gave him a small croon, one hand wrapped around his waist while the other was buried in his hair.

Dogma purred loudly, panting slightly.

They sat like that for about half an hour. Fox moved out from underneath him and Dogma grumbled, pawing at Fox.

The older omega rolled his eyes and lifted the younger up. Dogma sighed, but didn’t move save slightly rolling over so he could be comfortable. 

“Don’ le’ve,” Dogma muttered, moving out of the fog. 

“I got work,” Fox adjusted his arms.

Dogma sniffed, but didn’t move further. He tapered off, just fading into the fog. 

He shrieked as Fox tossed his down on a mattress,

“Heat, no sex, just give him comfort,” Fox growled. 

Dogma just sniffed as Fox sighed. Dogma felt a warm body at his side, curling around him. 

Another, who Dogma recognized as Slick, and placed his chest to Dogma’s back. Pressing his nose to the bottom of his chin, rubbing against the secondary scent gland.

“Hey,”

“Hey,” Slick said with a small smile, “good to see you out kih’vod.”

“Good to be out,” Dogma nuzzled Slick’s neck. 

Dogma purred quietly, he briefly scented another, younger omega to his left, who seemed to be just finishing their own heat.

He tensed slightly at the scent of a younger alpha, palm oil and coconut signified Opai, the young alpha rubbing along his side.

He would laugh, he knew that the kit had his sights on him, it was obvious. He was briefly reminded of Hardcase’s brazen forwardness, the kit  _ was _ similar to his deceased mate. But Dogma would never consider it, he loved Opai like his own kit, nothing more.

He shook himself and pulled him closer with a small click. Rubbing his jaw along Opai’s nose, but not giving the interested alpha anything else.

Opai seemed to get the idea, defeated for now he slumped to the side, content to be mothered at the moment.

Cardinal, one of the older alphas, pressed to his side. Dogma melted into him and Hound. Content with the attention he was being shown at the moment.

Fox went to stand, but Dogma pulled him back. His pack omega needed the rest anyways, and Dogma liked him close. Win-win.

Fox grumbled, but moved in with the pack. Thorn was snoring loudly at the other side of the room, Stone next to him, both alphas laying on top of Thire, who looked minorly annoyed but fond. His face broke into a grin as he started laughing at Fox.

Dogma curled up next to Fox, Hound and a few other guards also snuggled up to Fox’s side. A few falling asleep on him, effectively trapping him. 

The pack omega just sighed, and slumped down onto the mattresses. Dogma beside him, Opai at his right, a young omega on his flank, Slick laying across his back.

He yawned, and curled into Hound. Hound gave his own rumbling purr and he was pulled closer.

________________________

Dogma’s breath hitched.

_ No way. _

Hardcase.

There was no doubt that his alpha was sitting there with Torrent Pack. 

Hound grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. Probably smelling his distress, 

“Dogm’ika?”

“I-Hardcase,” 

Sithshit he couldn’t breathe. Was he dead? Did Torrent die and now he was dead? Hound was touching him, so was he dead too?

“Hardcase? As in  _ that _ Hardcase,”

“I  _ know _ , I know it was him-I don’t know why I know-but that’s  _ him _ .” Dogma breathed loudly. Hound shushed him, unclasping his bucket and tossed it to the side. His chin was wretched up and he was forced to look into Hound’s golden eyes.

“Dogm’ika breathe, I need you to breathe.” Hound grabbed in cheeks, wiping tears.

Dogma was shivering, he couldn’t help it. It was all out of his control. He couldn’t breathe, his throat was closing and he was drowning. He felt like he was in stasis all over again, drugged and out of control.

“You’re going to go into heat if you don’t relax,”

“I’m relaxing, I-I’m relaxed,” Dogma stuttered.

They sat like that for a few minutes, before Hound spoke,

“We still have to arrest them,”

“I know,”

“We’ll do it then, if we can get them at least to the detention center then you should be fine to leave,”

“Okay,” Dogma nodded.

He took another second before standing up, Hound supporting him, and he sighed,

“I’m probably going into heat after this,”

“Most definitely,” Hound nodded, and then he smiled mischievously, “I’m sure Opai would be elated to help you out.”

“Shove off,” Dogma rolled his eyes.  _ As if he would ever consider. _

Hound laughed and they both took out their cuffs, “shall we?”

Dogma threw on his bucket, and they both made their way back to 79’s.


	7. Chapter 7

Hardcase looked closer at the masked ARF trooper. His armor was mainly gray, save his boots and thigh guards, which remained white and there were red and burgundy markings. His visor was dark maroon, His single pauldron had a guard red triangle as did his kama and chestplate. 

He stood tall, back straight. A lean build, heavier than Fox but lighter than Thire. Probably an NCO of some sort, a Sergeant based on his stripes. 

The bucket was turned in their direction, and the trooper seemed stiff,

“Excuse me, Hound, can you take this?”

“Of course, I’ll call if I need anything,” 

The ARF saluted, and brushed past them, closing the door and footsteps fading at a quick pace.

Hardcase was slightly confused at the hasty exit. But didn’t question it as Hound turned to them, taking off his bucket and giving them a blank stare. 

“So...Company?”

“Torrent,”

“Why am I not surprised,”

Fives looked borderline offended, “excuse you?”

Hound waved his hand, cocking his head in amusement, “Torrent is renowned amongst the Guard, I don’t know why I asked.”

He sighed, and they all nodded in agreement.  _ He wasn’t wrong _ .

He heard out the lecture, ‘ _ why would you fucknuggets do this? Where did you even find this shit? What does that even mean?’  _ and the  _ ‘holy fuck why would you draw a penis on our speeders, of all the shit!’ _

Hardcase rolled his eyes, drunk Fives was a brilliant Fives after all. Hound finally sighed as the previously departed trooper returned with papers, hand shaking slightly as he handed them out.

“Sign here...and there,” the trooper said monotonously, “put your company here...your CT number underneath it, and your battalion and general and any other CO’s that you have.”

Hardcase sighed...he sighed-  _ Clone Trooper Hardcase- CT-0420, 501st Battalion under Captain Rex CT-7565- General Anakin Skywalker and Commander Ahsoka Tano...yadda yadda. _

And finally.

_ Finally. _

They were released. 

The flighty trooper reappeared, he watched them carefully. He looked at Hardcase, who pointed to himself and mouthed  _ ‘me?’ _

A loud sigh came through the HUD and he nodded stiffly.

The ARF waved him to the side, Jesse laughed and shouted “get some, ‘Case!”

Hardcase flipped him off and walked off with the trooper, he probably just had an inkling of his new  _ reputation  _ and wanted a lay. Not that he would anymore.

He backed him into an ally, Hardcase looked into the blank HUD, and the trooper rasped, “Hardcase?”

“Umm...yeah?” Hardcase shuddered. 

The trooper pulled off his bucket, hair sticking to his forehead. 

_ Dogma. _

_ Holy shit. _

Everything froze as he stared into Dogma’s brilliant gold eyes, same tattoo inked across his face, same scrunched nose, but his eyes were darker...weary and old and tired.

“D’ika,” he sobbed, “I-you were dead, D’ika you’re gone.”

“Cas’ika,” Dogma whispered, “no, no I wasn’t.” 

“What?” Hardcase looked up at his lover, “D’ika what happened.”

Dogma shook his head, leading him away and into a locked warehouse building. He quickly picked the lock and shuffled inside. Hardcase walked inside behind and shut the door. 

He was met with his sobbing lover. He buried his face into Dogma’s neck, inhaling deeply. Hardcase felt his own tears appear, and didn’t bother doing anything to stop them, save closing his eyes as he smelled and cried into Dogma, cradling the back of his head with one hand to pull his neck to the side and the other around his waist. Dogma’s arms were wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

Dogma smelt like home. There was a moment where everything just froze, the world stopped moving, there was nothing but him and Dogma. 

They separated and Hardcase pulled Dogma into a passionate kiss. Dogma smiled into Hardcase, tears streaming down both of their faces as they drew apart. 

“D’ika,” Hardcase stroked his cheek.

“‘Case,” Dogma sniffed, pressing his head into Hardcase’s.

Hardcase then grabbed him into a rougher, more desperate kiss, beginning to clip off his armor, Dogma’s nimble hands doing the same. He pulled off Dogma’s belt and chest plate. Once their uppers were removed, Hardcase slid his hands under his blacks, teasing the beautiful dark skin on his stomach. 

A curve of raised skin against his fingers. 

Dogma tensed.

“D’ika?”

Dogma looked down, breath hitching. 

“Dogma?” Hardcase lifted up his shirt slightly. And breathed out.

He pulled off Dogma’s shirt completely. A huge, puckered ‘Y’ was cutting down his abdomen stopping above his heart and splitting off to reach his shoulders.

Tattoos and other small scars were scattered around, some new and some old. But Hardcase only had eyes for the big one. He guessed where it was from, and he really hoped that it wasn’t the case.

“What happened?” 

Dogma shivered violently in his arms.

“D’ika…” Hardcase asked, “what happened?”

“It hurt, gods it was hurting so much and I couldn’t, I-I,” Dogma quieted, breathing harshly.

“Later cyar’ika, later” Hardcase muttered.

“‘Case,” Dogma cried, “Case.” 

“Oh, D’ika. D’ika cyare, I’m so sorry, I should-should have,” 

“‘Case,” Dogma touched Hardcase’s face, tracing his tattoos, tears streaming down his face, “ _ Case _ .”

“D’ika,” Hardcase whispered, “D’ika, you’re here.”

“Yeah Case, I’m here, I’m here,” Dogma sniffed.

“Oh gods D’ika you’re here,” 

Dogma nodded, before pulling them together into a Keldabe. One hand at the base of Hardcase’s head while the other remained on his cheek. Hardcase’s hands seemed to know what to do, wrapping one around Dogma’s narrow waist and the other messing with his hair. 

Hardcase tightened his grip on Dogma’s hip, squeezing them together. Dogma grunted, but just shifted over to get some comfort.

Dogma’s hand lightly traced Hardcase’s tattoos, his eyes closed and nose smushed into his pec. Hardcase’s hands continued to play with his hair, Dogma’s lips curled into a small smile,

“I missed you ‘Case,” Dogma slurred.

“Love you D’ika,”

“S’love you too,”

Hardcase pulled Dogma into a deep and passionate kiss, eyes closed and heart full. 

He hopes that Dogma got what he was trying to give, if not, he would spend the rest of his life reminding him. 

They gradually faded as they eventually became too tired to nothing but trade soft and light kisses, just allowing the bed to cradle them. 

If this was a dream Hardcase decided he never wanted to wake up.


	8. Chapter 8

He waited, he endured the teasing about him going off with a guard of all troopers. But also the quiet relief, as if they knew that whatever this encounter was had calmed him.

Maybe they thought he had a date? 

He believed that they thought he would be settling down. He had finally gotten over the loss that only Kix had scratched the surface of. 

The next day though, Dogma commed him with instructions and some coordinates.

The same place they had reunited the other day. He silently took a breath and knocked. 

The door slid open, and Dogma appeared, yanking him in and shutting the door. His blocker was gone, hair ruffled, and twitchy. He smelt _delicious_ though, preheat and Hardcase couldn’t get enough of it. 

Dogma gave him a quick kiss and pulled him to the kitchen, Hardcase smiled and hefted him on the counter, wrapping his hands around his waist, and pulled him for an open-mouthed kiss, smiling into his mouth.

They separated and just stared at each other, panting and smiling. Hardcase looked into Dogma’s bright gold eyes, easily his most defining feature, besides his tattoo, they were lighter, more amber than the rest of their vode, they were beautiful, like him.

Dogma gave him a watery smile, pressing their foreheads together.

Hardcase closed his eyes, closing the distance and pressing flush with Dogma, if the omega was annoyed he didn’t say anything.

He took his time, slowly kissing and enjoying the moment, eyes shut and breathing steady. Dogma echoed his movements, forehead pressed against his. 

When he looked up he found Dogma’s steady gaze and smiled, “hey.”

Dogma gave him a bashful grin, “hey.”

“Looking good, mesh’la.” Hardcase teased, and kissed him again.

“Not as good as you.” Dogma huffed pulling back to breathe. Looking over at Hardcase with a soft expression. 

Hardcase looked at Dogma, moving on hand to tuck one of the longer strands of hair that had gotten loose behind his ear.

“You growing it out?”

“It’s always been this long, just not slicking it back as much anymore,” Dogma chided, flushed.

Hardcase smirked and kissed Dogma’s nose.

“Case,” he grumbled despite leaning forward.

“Yes, D’ika?”

“Haven’t heard that in a while,”

“You’re going to be hearing it a lot more now cyar’ika,”

“Am I?” Dogma murmured lightly, but his eyes got darker, and his mouth twitched. He was nervous.

“Yes,” Hardcase declared.

Dogma gave him a thin smile, clearly not believing it but oh well, they’d get there. And Hardcase didn’t mind waiting. 

He grabbed Dogma by the hips, who squeaked and quickly wrapped his legs tightly around his waist. Hardcase laughed loudly and pulled him closer. He walked them to the main room, depositing his lover on the bed. Dogma made an indigent squawk as Hardcase pounced.

* * *

Hardcase woke up. He stretched and tensed.

 _Damnit,_ he’d thought he’d stopped with this.

He turned, hoping to slip out without alerting the person in his arms, and he froze when everything came back. 

Dogma was there, snoring quietly in his arms, his face buried in his neck. He smiled at Dogma, the sleeping clone shifted and yawned, blearily opening his eyes.

"'Case?"

"I'm pretty sure there's a ' _hard_ ' in there," Hardcase smirked.

"Yeah, and because of that I'm not sure if I'll be able to walk," Dogma rolled his eyes.

"I guess I'm just that good," Hardcase gave him a sultry grin.

" _No,_ " Dogma grumbled, rolling over, "n'now."

Hardcase whined mockingly and decided to be petty, licking Dogma's face. He winced as his tongue scraped against stubble.

"You need to shave,"

"Bite me,"

"If you insist," Hardcase smirked, maneuvering around the red marks starkly contrasting from the deep brown of Dogma' skin, before claiming an empty spot on his collar bone.

"'Kriff, 'Case," Dogma moaned quietly.

"Yes D'ika?"

"Don't leave," he whispered.

Hardcase froze, old guilt appearing in his heart. 

"I'm sorry," he said, pressing a tender kiss to his lips, "I'm so sorry Dogma."

Dogma looked up at him, eyes weary and grieved.

"Dogma, I-I, there's no excuse,"

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because someone had to, and I figured-I thought..." Hardcase paused, trying to catch the words before sighing, "I wasn't thinking.:

Dogma muttered something under his breath, and looked at him, "did I- did we really not mean anything to you?"

"You meant everything to me," Hardcase whispered sincerely, "and I didn't do a great job of showing it."

"No," Dogma agreed coldly, "you didn't."

"And I will do everything in my power to make that up to you,"

"Stop hiding things," Dogma whispered, "I _know_ something happened between then and now, and I know that even you are hiding it from yourself."

Dogma was looking at him, his eyes flashing. Hardcase felt a pit open up in his stomach, but he knew that he needed to get this off his chest, even if Dogma already knew.

“I-struggled after you were taken,” Hardcase finally sighed, “I had never been so _cold_ before.”

Dogma nodded, seemingly knowing what was going to be said, he didn’t look angry or sad or even jealous...just blank.

“I couldn’t I-I just wanted to forget everything that I lost. That Krell took from me, from us. Sithspit why did Krell have to-,”

“‘Case,” Dogma chided, his voice shook and Hardcase nodded and got back into his story.

“I wanted to be warm again,” Hardcase muttered, memories coming back, feeling familiar guilt for every second he had someone else in his bed.

Dogma dipped his head, and looked at Hardcase. His eyes slipped down, away from Hardcase’s face.

“I’m sorry,”

“D’ika...” Hardcase started, “Dogma this wasn’t your fault...and I respect if you don’t want to go any further because of it.”

He did, even if it would kill him.

Dogma looked at him, before nodding once, “I need a few days to think about it.” 

Hardcase bowed his head, and prepared to move, but Dogma stopped him, “I will comm you before you deploy again.”

“Okay,” 

When Dogma didn’t contact him for a few days. Sergeant Hound commed him, letting him know that Dogma had gone into a stress heat and didn’t want to worry him.

Hardcase understood. He was surprised that Dogma would go off his suppressants, but he guessed that they weren’t mixed into guard rations based on Hound’s lack of surprise, seeming just minorly annoyed. 

He was initially a bit hurt, that Dogma didn’t want to spend his heat with him. But he ultimately empathized, knowing that he would have to work to regain his trust as well as Dogma probably wanting to be safe and take it slow. 

But until then he would wait. 

And wait. 

_And wait._

And finally, Hardcase got a call. Well, not a call, but a set of coordinates, ones he recognized as the safe house they had reunited a few days prior. 

Dogma was sitting on the bed, the stale scent of heat filled the room.

“If I-I had waited, not been so impulsive, I-we…” Dogma whimpered, and Hardcase decided to change the subject. He tapped Dogma’s abdomen and traced his scars. 

Dogma was silent, just breathing harshly. 

“It was after you ‘died’,” Dogma finally whispered.

Hardcase sat up next to him. Grabbing his hand and pressing his lips to it, moving to press his chest to Dogma’s back.

“I don’t know...I walked into the hanger and you were gone and something in me just snapped. I don’t know if it was me or Krell’s or something else, I just...something was wrong. I felt the cramps first, then saw the blood. I knew something was up, but I didn’t have anyone- and then Fives and Jesse came back alone and I knew that-,”

Hardcase nodded. He pressed small kisses into his neck and buried his face into Dogma’s soft hair. 

“After I got to Kamino, they cut into me. I watched as they pulled out my lungs, liver, and-and, I could feel them growing back. I spent around two months like that, every day a rinse and repeat of drugging and pain...gods I was always in pain,”

Hardcase nodded, knowing that this was something extremely personal to Dogma, and he wouldn’t interrupt, talk, or comment. However, Hardcase would prompt when Dogma got stuck. He would let Dogma say his piece, just as Dogma let him talk.

“It was so painful, it still hurts. Gods it was hurting so much, and it got to the point that I couldn’t, I couldn’t…” he trailed, curling in on himself.

“D’ika?”

“I-I also had a hard time after,”

Hardcase remained silent, tapping Dogma’s shoulder with his own.

“Fox...without Fox and the guard, I don’t think I would have made it out alive without them,” 

“D’ika…” 

“I tried to...I couldn’t anymore. Everything was always hurting and I-I grabbed a bottle of pills...and I-I,” 

Hardcase pulled Dogma close, holding him against his much bigger body. Dogma sobbed into Hardcase’s chest.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry ‘Case,”

“D’ika, you have nothing to apologise for,” Hardcase soothed.

Dogma continued to cry loudly into Hardcase’s shoulder. Hardcase felt tears run down his face at the thought of Dogma sitting in a dark room alone, nothing but a bottle of pills and a desire to march on.

Gods, what if he had succeeded. What if Dogma had died, and he would be gone.

He was, he had been gone. Hardcase just wouldn’t have known. He would’ve gone the rest of his life ignorant to the fact that the love of his life had lived only to die later because Hardcase had to be a di’kut and fake his death.

Hardcase peppered small kisses, “D’ika I’m so sorry.”

Dogma said nothing, he just closed his eyes and held Hardcase close, and Hardcase pulled him closer. He scented him quietly, and Dogma’s sobs turned to simpers.

“I’m sorry,” he rasped.

“There’s nothing to apologize for Dogma, if anything I should be apologizing to you,”

Dogma looked slightly confused at this. _As if he had been the one to screw up, not Hardcase._

“If I hadn't done what I did on Umbara,” Dogma flinched, “we would still be together, we would have had each other’s backs. Let’s be honest here D’ika, if I hadn’t died, would you have done what you did?”

“I-I don’t know,” he whispered, “but no matter why or what reasons I used to justify it I was wrong.”

“Dogma, you had a miscarriage, you lost your alpha, any person in your situation would have reacted terribly,” 

Dogma looked down and Hardcase continued, “I don’t- there isn’t any excuse Hardcase, I messed up, I should have known and I should have been _better_.”

Hardcase’s arms tightened around Dogma, pushing him closer to himself. He waited until Dogma’s sobs reduced and whispered, “you know, a few weeks after...after _everything_ , Tup woke me up...err, shook me out I guess, I couldn’t actually sleep. We talked, Tup blamed himself, I blamed myself, and Fives came up behind us, and gave one of his speeches, it boiled down to ‘the only person who at fault Umbara is Krell, he did this to us,’ and you know what, he was right.”

Dogma didn’t say anything, just keened in his neck.

Hardcase held him closer and he sobbed harder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to announce that I'm making a series out of this alongside the lovely The_Dark_Is_Afraid_Of_Me. I would definitely check out her amazing writing and I cannot wait to do more with you 😘


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haha you guys thought that'd be the last of the chaos that would be Dogma and Hardcase's bby?

Hardcase woke up with a snort, 

“Whoever’s damn comm that is, pick it up or turn it off!” Someone shouted.

Hardcase groaned and rolled over to see that Dogma was comming him, which was odd, Dogma didn’t usually call Hardcase, typically messages and holo recordings. Typically a hello and checking up on him to see if he was okay, the occasional holo was…always a pleasant surprise, especially what was  _ in  _ them- specifically. 

“Goddamn it Hardcase!” 

“Cyare,” he slurred, there was shifting around him, clearly interested.

“Hardcase I swear to fuck,”

Okay, this was odd, Dogma didn’t swear, he was odd like that, “S’wrong?”

“I’m karking  _ pregnant _ !” Dogma hissed into the comm. 

“Oh shi-.” There was more shifting around him, Jesse sat up and gave him a what-the-kark look. Hardcase switched the comm to private, “are you good?”

“No, Hardcase, I’m not  _ good _ , I’m  _ pregnant _ ,” Dogma hissed.

“Congratulations?”

“Hardcase I swear on Commander Fox’s wine stash, if you don’t take this seriously…”

“Sorry, it’s just...you weren’t...why, how?” 

“I don’t know ‘Case, I’m fairly certain I’m fertile year-round, kark you, you bastard,” Dogma hissed.

“To be fair, this was an us mistake,”

“ _ Hardcase, _ ” Dogma hissed, and he cringed.

“When are you due?” he amended. 

“Three-ish months, I’m past ten weeks,”

“Okay…” 

Jesse snorted while Kix elbowed him sharply. Hardcase gave them the finger before walking out of General Berthing to a storage closet, taking the time to lose any potential listeners before stopping. 

“-m serious,”

“Sorry, D’ika, had to get Jesse out of my ass,”

Dogma made a noise on the other side, “No, not like that, he was being Jesse.”

“Makes sense,” Dogma huffed

“So you’re…”

“Hardcase what are we going to do,” Dogma whispered, “what if something happens and you- or I-I... Hardcase what if-?”

“Dogma,” Hardcase rumbled, “it’ll be fine, do you understand?”

“Okay,” 

“We will figure it out, we’ll be okay,”

“O-okay,” Dogma repeated, “we’ll- we’ll be fine, yeah.”

“We’re scheduled for leave in a month, I’ll visit you then. Do you have anyone you can trust?”

“I- it’s not uncommon for Guards to get pregnant, Senators don’t like us on suppressants, so going into heats and ruts isn’t out of the norm here, but I haven’t gone into mine since that stress heat after that night at 79’s,”

“Okay...will you be okay until I can make it?”

“Yeah...yeah, Fox already knows, so I’ll be regulated to desk duty for a while, maybe a light patrol, I should be fine,” Dogma mumbled, he got quiet, “Promise me...promise me Hardcase you’ll do everything in your power to come back to us.”

Hardcase felt his stomach flip, he was briefly hurt, but understood. He  _ had _ messed up badly the last time his lover was pregnant.

He nodded, “I will, I swear it,” 

Dogma’s relieved sigh released some of Hardcase’s tension. 

“Okay, Hardcase I’m holding you to that, please don’t...I...please stay alive,” Dogma’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“I will D’ika, I’ll do everything in my power to come back, to both you and the baby,”

Dogma’s light breathing filled the comm, before he kightly asked, “have you told anyone?”

“About?”

“Me,” Dogma whispered. 

“No, I wouldn’t do that unless you wanted me to,” Hardcase reassured quietly, wishing he was there to give him a hug.

“Thank you,” 

“Don’t thank me for that, it’s the least I could do,” Hardcase said earnestly, “would you like me to tell anyone?”

“No...I-I, as awful as it sounds...I  _ like _ it this way,” 

Hardcase nodded, and made a noise of agreement. Dogma made a little whine on his side and Hardcase asked, 

“Should I get a transfer?”

“And what will Rex say to that?” Dogma chuckled and Hardcase did the same, “and not to mention, Hardcase, you love the frontlines, you love Torrent, and given Commander Thorn’s constant whining about him not being able to use his Rotary Canon is testament to how miserable you’ll be here, and I wouldn’t ask that of you.”

Hardcase felt his heart clench, did he mention that he loved Dogma, because he loved him. 

“Thank you,” Hardcase said and Dogma made an affirmative croon. 

“Hardcase, I’m being serious, come back,”

“How can you be serious if you are Dogma?” Hardcase joked and Dogma grunted over the comm,“sorry, and I will.”

“I’ll comm you in a few days,” Dogma said.

“Okay, you be safe too, stay away from idiots,”

“Hard to do that when there’s only one braincell in the Guard and Fox has primary custody of it,” Dogma’s tone lightened and Hardcase laughed. 

There was a moment of silence, “Bye Hardcase, love you.”

“I love you too D’ika,” Hardcase smiled and the comm hung up.

He waited a moment before slamming the closet door open, hitting Fives in the chest. 

The rest of his squad were standing outside, eager looks on their faces, and Hardcase rolled his eyes and smirked, 

“The Guardsmen?”

“He’s planning on ending it,” Hardcase said, “he’s usually put on patrol squadrons and he loves it too much to give up at the moment.”

“Are you okay?” Jesse asked.

“Neither of us are committed enough for that,” Hardcase lied through his teeth, “I’m with him on this.”

“Are you guys going to stay together?”

“I don’t know, but whatever happens will happen y’know,”

They shrugged and started to walk off. They all moved before Kix turned back on his heel with a remark on how he left something in the medbay, grabbing Hardcase’s arm.

There were snickers as Kix dragged him to the medbay.

“ _ Again, _ ” Kix admonished.

“Ummm,”

“Hardcase define protection?”

“...”

“I can tell,” Kix growled, “have you ever used a condom in your goddamn life? Kriff, first Dogma and now a random Guardsmen, what is this Hardcase, I thought you were getting better.”

“I am, I just got excited,”

“Does the other trooper  _ know _ ,”

“Yes,” 

“And has he been tested?”

“We’re both clean, and I doubt we’ll be having sex anytime soon,”

“It’s good to see that there might be one braincell up there,”

“Thanks Kix,” Hardcase drawled.

“Just...just use protection next time, the last thing the galaxy needs is another Hardcase.”

Hardcase whirled on Kix, “and our first pup?”

Kix paled and quickly apologised and Hardcase calmed slightly.

“Plus, Dogma’s influence might’ve added an ounce of chill to the abomination that would’ve resulted from the two of you,” Kix joked lightly.

“Thanks…” Hardcase muttered, thinking of their pup that could’ve been. 

Would they have been quiet and observant like Dogma? Or would they be loud and excitable like him? Would they get tattoos when they were older? Would they be good at pyrotechnics? Good tactitions? Would they be sharp or quick? 

Dogma had seemed hesitantly enthusiastic. Hardcase understood the fact that scientists had forced him off suppressants and forced him into heat and Hardcase into rut. They had loved their child regardless, and Hardcase knew that the guilt would never leave him. The death of their pup, Dogma’s emotional breakdown and subsequent torture at the hands of the Kaminoans, and his later addiction and suicide attempt. Hardcase would always live with that, just like Dogma would live with his attempted execution and what he had done for Krell, Dogma would live with the fact that Hardcase had screwed up.

“Sorry,” Kix said, “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Hardcase nodded numbly and Kix spoke again, “I miss him too, like not as much as you or Tup, but sometimes I’m looking over and expecting him to be there messing with whatever or there to keep himself busy.”

Hardcase chuckled quietly, going for the truth, Kix could always see when someone was lying, “yeah, I also keep looking over, wanting to talk to him, hells I still message his comm sometimes.”

Kix sighed and leaned back, “Tup sometimes comes to mess around, he’ll do similar things too and back in the beginning, I’d call him Dogma. I always felt like shit, especially when he flinched.” 

“Fives would've been pissed,”

“When is he not though,”

“Yeah…” Kix agreed, “I have a shift in about thirty minutes, but I know that you have one in a few hours, get some rest, and I’ll comm the guard medic and tell him to keep an eye on your Guard.”

“That’s fine, he’s already in the know according to him,”

“I’ll still comm him anyway...yeah?”

Hardcase shrugged and straightened out, he trudged off and as he walked down he stopped, 

_ They were going to have another pup. Hardcase had another chance to be a buir. _

_ There was going to be a mini Dogma or a mini Hardcase or a mini both of them running around. A small, bright eyed, little pup with wants and dreams and needs.  _

And that scared him _.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We deserve some Buir!Dogma, that's all I'm gonna say


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really want to see the baby already, one more chapter until the child is here!

He was nervous, Hardcase hadn’t heard from Dogma in a few weeks. Gods he hated scout work. Dogma knew this and had agreed that Fox would comm Rex about an unrelated subject and turn in to him if necessary. There was a code that Dogma had relayed to him if they needed.

Hardcase wacked a branch out of his way and heard a sharp ‘ow!’ from the poor shiny behind him. He quietly apologised and continued on.

He imagined Dogma laying in a bed. A healing red mark on his neck, holding their little one close with an indulgent expression. The little pup giving him a toothless smile in his own arms, gurgling excitedly. Bright golden eyes meeting his own matching ones, carmel skin against his arm with small black curls on top of his head. 

Another, older pup next to them, his hair cropped close to his head and sitting in Hardcase’s lap, dozing quietly. Maybe he would press a kiss to his forehead, asking him how training went. Maybe he would ask him how his agemates are and how training is going. 

Ideally, the Krell never existed and the war was be over, and Dogma was with Torrent still and they were all together and hunky-dory,

Jesse nudged his side, drawing him back to the mission at hand.

He wished he could comm Dogma, he really wanted to hear his voice. Knowing his pup was safe and his omega was healthy.

He sighed and moved along, wishing to get back to his lover and soon to be pup.

* * *

They had _finally_ made it back to Coruscant.

And Hardcase was excited to be here and meet his cyare.

He shuffled into the safehouse, quickly punching in the code and slipping inside. The lights were off, but the bowl in the sink showed that Dogma was here, and was merely sleeping. 

Then a light flickered on and Hardcase froze.

Commander _karking_ Fox was sitting in front of him, comfortable in a chair, a notched eyebrow and in full armor, cleaning his pistol.

“Clone trooper Hardcase,” Fox said, voice chilly and eyes cold, Hardcase could not catch a scent which made things worse, “I’ve heard so much about you.”

Hardcase backed up, Fox was watching him for something. There was a moment where Fox was just blinking at him. Fox hummed, 

“I-um sir?” Hardcase stuttered out.

_ Kark Fox was scary as kriff. _

The older omega was staring him down, eyes narrowed and scent sharp.

“I know that you knocked up one of my troopers in the past, and you’ve knocked him up again...and you hurt him. I’m here to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself,” 

Hardcase was still stiff and silent. 

Dogma came through the window, and apon seeing them sighed loidly.

"Are you joking?"

"No kih'vod,"

He sighed again, louder and more annoyed, but continued all the same, “Case, this is Fox, ori’vod this is Hardcase,” 

Commander Fox stared down at him, for once in his life Hardcase understood true fear.

“I suppose,” 

“Thank you for your illustrious approval, ori’vod,” Dogma muttered and Hardcase’s eyes flicked to him. 

“The father of your kit needs approval,” this was it, he was dead. Commander Fox  _ knows. _ He knows that he, Hardcase, a member of Anakin Skywalker's 501st Battalion knocked up one of his troopers.

Hardcase’s fear must have shown because Fox sighed and nodded. Dogma rolled his eyes and guided Hardcase out. He turned and stuck his tongue out at Fox in a childish display that would've caused Hardcase to laugh if he wasn't shitting himself at the moment.

“Sorry, he got me by surprise,” Dogma looked remorseful.

“Is he going to kill me?” Hardcase slumped on the bed.

“I won’t let him, and he won’t partially orphan his vod’ika,”

“Speaking of our ad'ika.” Hardcase moved over to lay on his side, looking at Dogma’s flushed cheeks.

Dogma hummed, “what about ‘em.”

Hardcase smirked and went in for his kill, and buried his face into Dogma’s neck. Dogma snorted as Hardcase loudly sniffed and mouthed his sensitive skin. 

“‘Cas’ika,” he giggled.

Hardcase nipped at the soft skin of Dogma’s neck. He smiled as Hardcase pulled up his top, flattening his palm on his slightly protruding stomach, Kix had told him that clone pups develop smaller and quicker.

“Perfect D’ika, so perfect,” he murmured, closing his eyes. Dogma made a happy chirp underneath him and Hardcase pulled him closer.

Hardcase pressed several small kisses into Dogma’s face and neck. Dogma tapped him, pulling him up to kiss him deeply. Hardcase smiled into the kiss, nipping his soft lips, continuing to rub his hand on Dogma’s belly. 

Dogma sighed into Hardcase’s mouth. Completely melting into him, eyes closing and face smoothing. Hardcase pulled back, moving his other hand to Dogma’s face, rubbing his cheek. Dogma purred, moving into his soft touch. 

Hardcase rolled them over, placing Dogma on top. Dogma hummed, and he resumed his petting, Dogma pressed his face into Hardcase’s neck, scenting him. 

A few moments later Dogma started to whimper quietly and Hardcase pulled back. He studied Dogma’s face, his nose was red and eyes hooded. Hardcase wiped the tears softly, Dogma started crying harder.

“Shh, D’ika, it’s okay,” Hardcase crooned.

“I-I don’t know why...I’m sorry,” Dogma stuttered.

Hardcase shushed him, pressing soft kisses on his face.

“Hormones are weird, I don’t mind,” Hardcase reassured quietly.

“Th’nks,” Dogma muttered.

He squirmed in Hardcase’s arms, and Hardcase smiled into the crown of his head. Dogma breathed into Hardcase’s neck, back flexing as Hardcase’s hands rubbed along his back.

“What do you think they’ll be like?”

Dogma lifted his head up, lips brushing his jaw as he got lost in thought, “probably completely insane.”

“Probably,” Hardcase chuckled.

“Oh gods how am we going to raise a mini you?” Dogma panicked.

“Hey!” Hardcase argued.

“Are you really going to argue that?”

“No,” Hardcase grumbled, “but you’re easily one of the stubbornest bastards I ever met, and this pup could easily be a mini you as well.”

“Oh gods this is going to be a disaster,” Dogma paused, “it’ll be Fox’s problem as honorary uncle.”

Hardcase broke down laughing, “absolutely.”

“Positively,” Dogma agreed. 

Hardcase chuckled and stretched. Dogma snickered before answering, 

“He’s going to be so pissed when he finds out,” Dogma chuckled, “but wait to kill us until our kit is born so he can adopt ‘em.”

“I wouldn't let him,”

“Clone Trooper Hardcase against Clone Commander Fox, yeah a predictable outcome,” 

“Hey!” Hardcase turned them over, leaning over Dogma with a faux betrayed look, “I could take him.”

“Yeah, maybe with a small army,”

Hardcase kissed him, effectively silencing Dogma for the moment. The guardsman only rolled his eyes and returned the kiss chastely. 

“That’s not going to work when you’re out again and I am bitching you out,” Dogma muttered.

“Hmm, guess I’ll have to figure something out, what’s your opinion on comm sex?”

“No,”

“Worth a shot,”

“No it wasn’t,”

“Not even a-”

“Talking time over, it’s snuggle time now,” Dogma grumbled, Hardcase’s final warning that if he doesn’t shut his face then he’ll be dealing with the wrath of his angry, pregnant, lover. 

“You wants the snuggles, I shall give you them snuggles,” Hardcase smirked, and grabbed his mate, loudly sniffing the crook of his neck and licking his cheek.

“You’re an animal,” Dogma muttered.

“But I’m  _ your _ animal.” Hardcase grinned at Dogma’s flushed face, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose.

“M’kay, making your baby is hard work, m’tired now, nap time,”

“Oh, so they’re my baby when they’re causing problems eh?”

“Yes,”

“I have to disagree, you’re easily a man of chaos too, even if you don’t admit it to yourself,”

“Shut up,”

“No,”

Dogma gave him a sharp look, before sighing, “what are we going to name them?”

“What about-”

“We are not naming them after your Z-6,”

“Why _not_?”

“Because I said so,” 

“That’s _bullshit_ ,”

“Don’t care, I’m not naming my kid after your overgrown blaster,”

“You take that back!”

“No,”

“Yes,”

“No,”

“ _ Yes _ ,” 

“Hardcase…”

“What about Goore?”

“I’m not naming my child Grenade,”

“What about… “

“How about Cinya?” Dogma suggested quickly, derailing Hardcase, “like Tracinya?”

“Flame?”

“I mean we don’t have to,” Dogma muttered,

“No...no I like it,” Hardcase smiled, “Cin’ika, it’s cute, just like their bu.”

“I’m  _ not  _ cute,” Dogma scoffed, snuggling adorably with Hardcase all the same.

“Mhmm, sure,”

“Yes I am very sure,”

“Well, I’m even more sure,”

“I’m like...a bajillion times more sure,”

“Well I’m infinity times more sure,”

Dogma swore quietly and Hardcase gasped, placing his hands over Dogma’s belly, “the baby will  _ hear  _ you!”

“So the baby will be permanently scarred from me swearing but not the two of us going at it like you’re planning on tomorrow night?”

“Touché,”

Dogma smiled, his eyes were closed and smile began to droop.

“Tired cyare?”

“Yeah, like I said making your baby is a lot of work, I’m making new bones for gods sake,”

“The bones you make but don’t even get to keep, that must be infuriating,”

“You have no idea,” Dogma murmured, “and you won’t until tomorrow, go to sleep.”

“Fine,” Hardcase whined and Dogma snorted.

He rolled over and shut off the lamp, snuggling into his mates back, wrapping his arms snuggly around his bump and pressing a kiss into the back of his neck, “love you cyar’ika.”

“Love you too Cas’ika,” Dogma sighed, body going slack within minutes. Hardase following soon after.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BABY TYME

Dogma sighed, _ he was so bored. _

Fox had taken him off patrol duty and assigned him to a desk job. Filing papers was boring and he could see why Fox was so pissy all of the time. 

But he was also with Fox a lot of the time too, and the older omega’s soothing presence definitely helped calm his pregnancy jitters. 

Slick was behind him, one shoulder brushed up against Dogma’s, both enjoying the contact that they had been denied in the Kaminoan labs. He smelt nice, like baked bread and clay, but a bit coppery. Dogma savored it, he loved Slick, his closest confidant, one of the few brothers he related to- even if he was a right bastard sometimes.

Opai chose that moment to pad in, pheromones dialed to eleven and Dogma sighed silently, internally screaming.

The kit really needed to take a hint.

“Hey Dogma, are you doing anything later?” he asked suavely, Fox covered his mouth behind him while Slick, ever so  _ unslick _ went off to talk to their Commander.

“You mean besides paperwork, can’t say I have anything plan, what do you need kid?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner?” he winked and Dogma was just dying inside. He heard Slick snort quietly behind him.

“Slick and I are preparing for an upcoming operation on Mandalore, sorry kid,” Dogma said, before tacking on, “‘sides, you can use the opportunity to work on cleaning the armory.”

He relished in the kit’s pale face and mumbled  _ osik _ . “This’ll have to wait sir, but rest assured I will get that dinner.”

And he ran. Dogma bit back a laugh until he was gone. Slick burst out laughing, crouching to his knees as he desperately tried to catch his breath. Fox gave an amused keen but was back on his work within seconds.

“Gosh the poor kid just doesn’t take a hint does he?” Slick asked.

Dogma shook his head and sighed, "I don't know what to say anymore.

Then Slick spoke again, “and your _beau_ , how is he?”

“So help me god if you ever call Hardcase _‘my beau’_ again I will shove you out of a window.”

“Dogma, don’t push your brother out of windows, Slick stop antagonizing your brother.”

“Yessir,” both said.

Fox breathed out slightly louder than usual, so he was amused more than anything.

“I got the 501st back early, they should make it by the time your ad’ika arrives.” Fox spoke up, turinning to Dogma, who sighed in relief. 

He nodded and slumped, and Slick piped up, “I still get time with my vod’ika, right?”

“No, that last thing I need is for you to corrupt their pure mind,” Dogma quipped.

“A tragedy, betrayed by my own brother, a crime against humanity,”

“Don’t be a little shabuir Slick,” Fox grumbled and Dogma snorted. 

“That’s his only personality trait, how dare you Commander,” Dogma admonished.

“Kark you guys,” Slick hissed and Dogma laughed.

“No thanks,” both said at the same time.

“Rude, I’ll have you know I’m beautiful,” 

“Maybe to a bantha,” Dogma muttered.

“Bitch-” Slick rolled up a file and hit him on the backside of the head with it, “bad  _ Dog _ .”

Fox murmured a quiet  _ oh shit _ and Slick paled and began backtracking.

“Umm, please don’t kill me?”

“You’re lucky my mobility is limited and I’m playing it safe at the moment, but as soon as my kit is born I’m going to airlock you out of the nearest system.”

“Sexy,”

“Oh it’s gonna be,”

“Enough children,” Thorn walked in, dropping another set of files on their desks, all three sighed loudly, “I have Brass and the rest of Prudii on their way.”

“Ah yes, the mission to Mandalore,” Slick drawled.

“Are you ready to get fucked?” Brass cracked. 

“Gods,” Dogma muttered, “I’m pregnant, I shouldn’t have to deal with this shit.”

“Sucks, maybe you shouldn’t have gotten pregnant,” 

“You should be sure to consult Slick every time you have sex after this,” Brass snorted.

Dogma flushed and chuckled, nodding slightly.

“Yes,” Slick said, before faltering, “wait no, please don’t.”

“I am now,” Dogma said and Brass snickered.

Fox gave a sniff and they went back to work. Dogma signed, breathed in, ignored the kicking at his bladder, signed, yawned, tossed a ration bar wrapper at Slick, who threw a paper cup back, touched his stomach lightly, blinked, concentrated on the work…

_ This is so boring. _

He shrugged off the slight pinching of his stomach, it seems their pup was a needy for attention as their buir.

“Get some rest M’ika, you’re gonna need it,” 

“Thanks ori’vod,” Dogma muttered, stretching.

“No problem, I’ll let Screecher know to check up on you,”

“Thanks.” Dogma stood and walked out, nudging Slick on the side and Slick gave a sharp growl. Dogma responded with a sweet purr.

He moved down the hall, nodding to the other Guards walking by him, stopping to talk with Hound and Ivy, exchanging pleasantries and small-talk. 

He then moved to the medbay, shoulder checking Screecher. He grumbled at him, waving him to sit down. 

“How are you feeling kid,”

“Fine,”

Screecher made a noncommittal noise, one hand touching his belly. Dogma cringed back slightly, not particularly comfortable with this, but oh well.

Screecher looked up at him, eyes dark as he rolled his eyes. He felt around, his  _ cold _ hands feeling along soft and scarred skin.

“Everything looks good kiddo,” Screecher said, still feeling around. 

Dogma sighed in relief, leaning back and away from Screecher’s  _ freezing  _ fingers. 

“You’re due  _ very _ soon, like any day now,” Screecher said, “I’m probably going to have you stay in a side room.”

“Okay,”

“Good, I’m going to have Cherry monitor you,”

“Okay,” 

* * *

Dogma yawned in the cot, squirming around. Screecher had kept him on bedrest for the past two days. 

Cramps had become a constant, a very painful one but he dealt.

Another sharp wave of agony rippled through his body and he rolled over.

Dogma froze at the slick running down his leg. Panic filled his mind while air refused to go into his lungs.

He took a very hesitant sniff, slight relief as couldn’t smell coppery blood, just...slick?

“Osik,”

“M’ika?” Fox asked blearily, rubbing his eyes. He took a sniff and he was instantly awake. 

“M’ika.” Fox knelt at his side, one hand in his hair and the other over his stomach.

“Fo-Fox,” Dogma whispered, panicked. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Fox reassured, hand moving to his comm, “Screecher, Dogma’s in labor...get your  _ shebs  _ down here now.”

He grabbed Dogma’s hand, who whimpered and curled in on himself, biting his lip. 

Fox helped him out of his top, stuffing the sleeve into his mouth as Dogma ground his teeth into the sleeve.

“I need you to breathe,” Screecher slid down besides him.

Dogma growled at him, eyes narrowed and angry. Screecher flicked his forehead while Fox rolled his eyes.

He wreathed in pain underneath him. His world was blurry and his body was in agony.

Dogma woke up, his abdomen and hips were in agony, he heard muttering around him. 

“Hey M’ika,” 

Dogma smiled weakly, hearing Fox. His brother was kneeling besides him, a soft look and a calm scent. 

Dogma’s eyes widened and he started flipping out.

“My kit! Fox is my kit-is-Fox where is my ad’ika?” Dogma panicked, turning on Fox, who held him.

“M’ika...M’ika you need to calm down, they’re fine, your baby is fine,” 

“I-they are?” Dogma asked, squirming to try and catch sight of his baby.

Screecher walked in, a small bundle in his arms and Dogma’s heart melted.

“Hello Dom’ika,” Screecher smiled, “meet your son.”

Dogma almost broke then and there. He held his son with shaking arms, holding him close. Dogma pressed a light kiss to his baby’s forehead. Tears began dripping down his face and onto his kit’s, whose own small face scrunched up.

His son’s eyes opened, bright amber met his own golden ones. 

“Hello,” Dogma greeted his baby.

His son babbled his own response, a tiny hand grasping at his nose.

“Welcome to the world Cinya,” Dogma murmured.

“It’s good to have you here,” Fox smiled next to him.

“Meet your vod’ika,” Dogma smiled.

Fox chuckled, but didn’t reach to touch the kit. Dogma appreciated the gesture, Fox understanding that the only one he wanted touching his kit was Hardcase.

“He’s adorable,” Fox muttered, handing him a small glass of water.

Dogma smiled in agreement, closing his eyes. He scented his child, welcoming him into his family. He would wait until Hardcase scented their son until inducting him into the Guard Pack.

He yawned and looked over at Fox who asked, “how are you M’ika?”

“Fine,” he breathed, “I’m great actually.”

“That’s great, any pain?”

Dogma gave Fox a deadpan, eyeing towards his stomach. Fox rolled his eyes and nudged his cheek with his nose, scenting him.

Dogma smiled and nuzzled Fox’s nose with his jaw. Fox smiled, “if anything feels off or you feel odd comm me and Screecher.”

“Of course,”

Fox pressed a kiss to his forehead. Dogma smiled, nodding as Fox left.

His baby whined as Dogma’s attention was on Fox. He sighed and turned towards his son, “I see you’re as much as an attention seeker as your buir.”

The baby gurgled loudly. He closed his eyes, leaning back into his nest with his kit. He moved towards one of Hardcase’s extra filched blacks. His kit moved towards his buir’s scent.

“That’s your buir, he loves you very much but he can't be here right now,” Dogma whispered to his ad’ika.

His kit mewled in his arms, squirming slightly. 

“Get some rest Cin’ika, I’ll be here when you wake up,” Dogma promised.

His kit whined but began to doze, Dogma was also tired. He padded up to the crib and put him down, his son stayed asleep thank the gods. Dogma snuggled into his own nest, messing with the clothes and blankets. He stopped at Hardcase’s top, holding it close to his nose.

“See you soon Cas’ika, your son and I are waiting,”


	12. Chapter 12

Hardcase jogged to their safehouse. He slipped slightly on the steps and caught himself on railing. He silently cursed the slick stairs, causing him to miss even more precious moments of their pup's life.

Even more time for their pup to be only half-scented. Even more time for their pup without their father. Even more time that Dogma is without his alpha. 

He burst into the house, bypassing the first few rooms until he  ran into a worried Fox, the commander gave him a slight glance but didn’t say anything else. He looked at Fox and the brother dipped his head. He looked tired, but somewhat happy to see him, probably content to be relieved of duty.

Fox fixed him with a scrutinizing glare before smirking with all teeth and walked out. 

He didn’t bother trying to figure out what that meant.

Hardcase breathed out, before breathing back in. He held for a second before sniffing the air, he smelt all of Dogma's distress, his joy and his exhaustion. 

He knocked, waited a second and opened the door quietly. Dogma squinted at the light coming into the room, moving the bundle that held their pup closer to his chest. His scent soured slightly and their baby whimpered in their bu's arms, a slight hiss building in pitch.

Did Hardcase mention that he loved Dogma? Because he _loves_ Dogma. There is no one else that he would want to have his pup, because no matter what he knew that he could trust Dogma. So, Hardcase smiled at the picture of his pup with his lover, despite the fact that Dogma looked seconds away from attacking him. Dogma’s hair was messy, strands sticking to his forehead. He looked relieved too, his eyes immediately softened when he was able to figure out it was Hardcase who entered. He shut the door softly behind him and moved next to Dogma.

Dogma made a happy and proud noise in the back of his throat, and shifted to the side. He pressed into Hardcase’s chest when he laid down next to him. 

Hardcase looked at their pup, gods they had a pup now, they were parents. The baby was so  _ tiny _ ; sithspit, Hardcase couldn’t believe how small he was. Dogma closed his eyes and melted into him, no doubt completely worn out from labor and then dealing with a newborn pup on his own. 

He massaged a hand into Dogma’s shoulder blade, the other coming around to support his pup’s head.  _ His pup, his actual, living, human being of a pup, was here.  _

The baby sniffled but didn’t wake, Hardcase peppered a few light kisses into Dogma’s neck.

“‘Case.” Dogma said, voice raw and full of emotion, his eyes were open now.

“D’ika,” Hardcase smiled, pressing a kiss to his temple, “they’re here.”

“Yeah...yeah,” Dogma nodded absentmindedly before his eyes widened, "Hardcase they're here!"

The pup stirred in his bu’s arms, and Hardcase’s heart melted. He leaned over Dogma, who seemed to read what he wanted, moving the baby up to Hardcase. With shaking hands he held the baby close to his chest, Dogma smiled dazedly. 

He moved the baby to his head, brushing his nose with the tiny one on his pup’s face. The baby moved again but didn’t wake, Dogma was staring attentively at them. 

“He’s so  _ tiny _ ,” Hardcase expressed the main thought in his head.

“Most children are?” Dogma looked slightly confused at him.

“I know but he’s so small,” Hardcase turned to Dogma, whose nose was scrunched in confusion, “what if we break him?”

“Everything will be fine.” Dogma recounted his words for both pregnancies, giving him a light smile. 

“Everything will be fine.” Hardcase echoed, giving Dogma a kiss while his thumb was stroking along their pup’s thin hair. 

Dogma just laid his head on his alpha's broad shoulder, a small smile spreading across his face as he looked indulgently at their son. 

“He’s so beautiful,” Hardcase whispered and Dogma nodded, then Hardcase spoke again, “you both are.”

“We all have the same face, Hardcase,” Dogma mumbled, blinking sluggishly as he rested his head back on Hardcase’s shoulder, yawning as his breathing slowly evened out. 

“Sleepy?”

“Mhmm,” Dogma hummed, eyes fluttering.

“M’kay, bed time for both of you,” Hardcase laughed.

Hardcase stood up and put the pup into the small crib next to their nest. The baby’s small fingers were wrapped around his one big one, nudging the little hand down with a small sound at the back of his throat. 

Dogma gave a soft purr, slowly messing around with their nest, trying to get comfortable. Hardcase moved back into the sheets and blacks, scenting it throughly. Dogma made a slightly pained sound, Hardcase responded with a soothing rumble. He collapsed next to him, and Dogma curled into him.

“We should mate,” Hardcase thought out loud.

“Now?” Dogma muttered wearily from his chest. Hardcase remembered that he had just pushed a baby out of himself and was probably not up to Hardcase sticking his dick in him anytime soon. 

“Probably your next heat,” he clarigied.

“I can have Fox or someone watch over the pup,”

“Okay,” Hardcase slurred.

“Okay,” 

He smiled, and pulled Dogma closer, scenting his neck before losing himself to sleep.

He was quickly woken up by loud crying and he groaned.

Dogma was quiet next to him, giving his own small sniff and getting out of bed. He picked up their son and held him close to his chest, shushing him softly.

“Can you hold on to him while I go make him his formula?”

“Of course,” Hardcase said, making grabby motions for his son.

Dogma smiled tiredly and handed Hardcase their pup, who held the gurgling baby to himself.

His cyare walked out, leaving Hardcase with their son.

“Hey, ad’ika, I know you can’t understand me yet, but I want you to know that I love you to the stars and back.”

Their son’s cries tapered as he met Hardcase’s eyes briefly. He made grabby motions at his face and Hardcase scented his son, formally accepting him as family and a part of his pack. 

“I love you and your bu, and so long as I’m here I’ll keep you safe,”

“You have to make sure he’s properly cared for before fighting his battles,” Dogma smiled from the doorway.

He shuffled back into the bed, bottle in hand. Getting in covers and rearranging his nest to his liking.

“Wanna feed him?”

“Get some rest Dogma, I’ll keep an eye on him tonight,” Hardcase promised. 

“Be careful.” Dogma muttered from his thigh.

“When haven’t I been careful?” Hardcase asked. 

Dogma gave him a tired deadpan and Hardcase snorted softly, before holding the bottle to his son, who latched on and began to suckle loudly. _'His son,'_ he thought victoriously.

Dogma laid his head on his lap, closing his eyes and dozing off. Hardcase chuckled, if he could he would’ve moved and buried his hand in his hair, hearing him purr quietly and his scent sweeten further, one of Hardcase's favorite experiences. 

But alas, sacrifices had to be made. 

Hardcase began to shut his eyes, but stayed awake to the best of his ability. 

His body began to tire, but when his pup's scent spiked with hunger. He sighed.

"Hungry already kiddo?" 

The baby giggled, flashing a toothless mischievous smile at him. Hardcase smiled indulgently and scented his pup once more. 

But a small part of him knew that it would be a long night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gonna dish out a few 700 word chapters, sorry for shorter chapters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapters I know and I'm sorry again
> 
> feeling sad for a multitude of reasons from my ADHD to hs Spanish, so be kind i guess, or not, i don't care 
> 
> I'll edit if I'm feeling a bit better and more up to it, and i would like to say i'll do it by the next chapter, but i don't know and don't want to say anything or make any promises 
> 
> anyways hope you enjoy my garbage and idk how up to it i'm feeling. might crank out a few other chapters and call it a story. i doubt anyone really cares anymore 
> 
> probably edit this out when i'm feeling less awful but hope y'all are doing better than me

Dogma purred in ecstasy while Hardcase continued to kiss his throat. 

Hardcase chuckled, lightly nipping skin

Cinya whined, a few months old and the little baby seemed as much of an attention seeker as his father. 

Hardcase scooted back, rolling dramatically off the bed and to the side. He trudged to the small nest their kit was in. Dogma looked indulgently at Hardcase playing with their son, tiny fingers grasping at Hardcase’s large, calloused one. Hardcase lifted the kit, more concentrated and careful than he handled everything else in life, save Dogma. 

Dogma was broken from his thoughts when Hardcase moved back next to him, kit in his arms. 

He passed him over to Dogma and Dogma held his son close, pressing a kiss to his small palm, little fingers tugging his hair and exploring his face. 

Dogma turned to see Hardcase looking at then both with a small smile. Dogma returned it, leaning into his cyar’ika. 

He understood Hardcase’s earlier sentiment, their kit was _tiny._ His head could fit in Dogma’s palm. He looked so breakable and Dogma had a moment of fear, _he was so small, what if they broke him?_

He switches his line of thinking quickly, focusing on Hardcase and their son instead. 

Hardcase pressed soft kisses into Dogma’s hair, his other hand stroking the small, chubby cheeks of their son.

Dogma started to doze off, Hardcase laid them down, the baby in between them. The little kit crawled towards him, and Hardcase gave him a bright smile. 

Big golden eyes met his own, the kit gave him a toothless smile as he excitedly babbled; all the while Hardcase began with his own gibberish. Their son turned over to his buir and began to babble back.

Dogma smiled at the picture, wanting to stay like this forever, but knew they couldn’t. Hardcase would deploy in a few hours, Dogma had an upcoming mission to Mandalore to continue infiltration with Death Watch and the Shadow Collective. He knew that Fox would watch over their son, if not, the Guard Pack. Torrent Pack would be their last resort, but Dogma prayed that it wouldn’t be the case. 

“I’m in Mandalore for a few months, there’s a center for kits where Cinya could stay, I’ll be put on suppressants so as soon as I get back so I’ll probably go into heat when we get back.”

Hardcase nodded, playing with their son. 

“We’ll mate then,” Hardcase muttered. 

“If that’s fine with you,” Dogma said nervously, because what if Hardcase _didn’t_ want to bond with him, and was only here because Dogma had spread his legs the moment they saw each other again. What if Hardcase had already had a stable life and lover in the 501st and was only here because he knocked him up again and Dogma was pathetic. 

“I’m here because I love _you_ , Dogma,” Hardcase mumbled, “I love you and only you and I am content with spending the rest of our lives proving it to you.”

Dogma felt tears dripping down his face, Hardcase’s hands came into view, calluses brushed against his skin, wiping away tears that fell without his consent.

“Dogma...” Hardcase rumbled, “I messed up, I messed up terribly and you paid for it. But don’t think for a second that I’m only here because I pity you, I don’t pity you D’ika, I love you to the stars and back, and do you really think that I would be here if I didn’t want to be?”

Dogma sniffled, his kit seemed to have noticed his change in mood as he crawled towards him. His tiny, chubby hand patted next to his buir’s large calloused one.

He pulled his kit’s forehead to his, brushing noses. He held his son close, stroking his hair. He closed his eyes, he knew he shouldn’t be thinking about his loss, about the kit they could’ve had, but it was there. He wondered what their first kit would’ve liked, would’ve been like. 

His son’s hand tapping his head jolted him back. He looked at Hardcase, studied him. He hoped he wasn’t lying, Dogma couldn’t take another heartbreak. He finally nodded and Hardcase sighed with relief, pulling them closer to him. 

“You back?”

“Yeah,” Dogma muttered.

“Good, stay?”

“I’ll try,” Dogma muttered wearily.

“Thank you,” 

Dogma nodded, and snuggled back into Hardcase’s side, “I’d be willing to accept your offer.”

“Heck yeah,” Hardcase kissed Dogma deeply.

Dogma rolled his eyes and scoffed. His bright gold eyes met Hardcase's own, and Hardcase took his hand and squeezed it. 

Their pup whined squirming around until he was next to Dogma.

Dogma smiled wetly, pressing a kiss to his pup's nose and then to Hardcase's lips. 

"Will we have a riduurok?" Dogma asked and Hardcase's eyes bulged.

"You want to?" He asked incrediously and Dogma 


End file.
